Love Of All Kinds
by margauxroseclarke
Summary: An edited retelling of the conclusion of the 1999 animated Tarzan film, followed by an exploration of Jane's past, as well as hers and Tarzan's future. How can they find a balance between civilization and jungle life as the years go on?
1. Chapter 1: A Leap Of Faith

Love of All Kinds — Chapter One

AUGUST 1885 — Africa

Jane drew a deep breath into her chest, braced herself, and jumped from the small rowboat into the water surrounding her. Layers of petticoats and fabric most certainly were not conducive to swimming, but she persisted - kicking her legs and pulling herself through the water with her arms until she could touch her feet to the sandy ground again. Bogged down by a now even more cumbersome dress, she stumbled out of the water, where her hands grabbed onto Tarzan's forearms to steady herself on her feet. He had been standing at the edge of the water, watching, arguably quite sorrowfully, as Jane and her father departed to go back to London. "I can't do it," she panted, "I can't go." She paused to catch her breath - that swim had exhausted her more than she anticipated, and she was overcome by a sudden swell of new emotions. "I…I have to stay here."

Tarzan looked at her quizzically, as he often had done in the past, and asked, "For how long?" There was a sparkle of hope in his eyes.

Jane let out a short laugh, "For…forever. I'm not going back to England, at all."

His eyes widened in surprise, but then his expression softened again into a look of happiness. "Good," he said, his voice trailing off, as if he didn't know what to say.

Jane gave him a sheepish smile. "Yes, I, uh, I suppose it is. I was thinking I'd be able to give you a more dramatic reunion," she looked down at herself; her dress was still dripping with sea water from her swim back to the shore. "But, I seem to have exhausted all of my energy swimming back here. Arguably, I could've just turned the whole rowboat around and rowed back here with Daddy, but I really don't have the patience for that…although patience is a virtue, and—" Tarzan placed his index finger over her lips to quiet her for a moment, "I'm rambling again, aren't I?" she said, smiling in spite of herself.

He smiled and nodded. "You're staying," he repeated, "You're staying. That's all I want." Jane blushed, and wrung some of the water out of her long, brown hair.

Jane had to admit, she had probably looked quite silly, stumbling back onto the sandy shore, trying not to fall, with a bundle of soaking wet fabric and petticoats gathered in her arms so she wouldn't trip over her own clothing. Coordination and athleticism had never quite been her forte.

She could feel a certain fluttering in her chest - a flutter of happiness, or joy, or shock - maybe all three combined. Without thinking, she pulled Tarzan in closer to her, and pressed her lips against his. The fluttering feeling in her chest increased - but she didn't mind; she liked it, quite a lot.

The mid-August sun beat down with an intensity that was both stifling, and oddly pleasant to Jane. Everything felt warm, and soft, but strong - the sun, the embrace, the kiss - all of it. She could get used to this - very used to this, indeed.

Her mind snapped out of her personal reveries, and she pulled back, but not too eagerly. She turned around to look out at the ocean that she had, minutes earlier, plunged into. The sun reflected off it - almost blindingly bright. Jane squinted, trying to catch sight of her father.

Her father had nearly reached the shoreline in their small rowboat. "I take it we're staying?" he called out.

Jane nodded, chuckling. "I don't suppose the captain will be too happy, having to bring all of our things back here."

"No, no, I suppose he won't be," Professor Porter said, "Never mind it, though. I'm sure people have made more demanding requests."

—

 _a few minutes earlier_

The waves rolled steadily but gently in towards the shore. A soft, warm breeze ruffled the foliage lining the edge of the jungle. Birds could be heard - and occasionally seen flying overhead. A few clouds hung in the sky, but not nearly enough to interfere with the light of the midday sun. The small rowboat rocked gently with the swells and falls of the ocean. Jane and her father journeyed, slowly but surely, out to the larger ship, waiting deeper out in the ocean.

Jane looked down at her feet - willing herself not to look behind her, back at the beach, and back at what - and who - she was leaving behind. She felt a pang of…something in her chest, and she knew she couldn't leave. She let out a sigh. But she had to leave. Did she want to? No. All of her instincts were screaming at her to turn around.

A knot of anxiety began to form in her stomach. She knew what she had to do, but, blast it all, screwing up the courage to do it was proving to be difficult.

She did what she told herself she wouldn't do: she looked behind her. "I can't do this," she whispered, to no one but herself.

"What's that?" her father asked, "I didn't quite hear you."

Jane turned back to face her father, "Daddy," she lamented, "I don't think I can do this." His eyes softened, understanding her dilemma.

"Do what?" he prodded.

"Leave. Go back to England…never come back. Never see all of this again." He nodded. The knot in her stomach grew, the further away from the shore they got.

Jane turned around again, looking at the beach, getting smaller and smaller. The smaller it got, the more her heart hurt. She pulled off her white gloves, and placed them, along with her hat, on the bottom of the boat. "I know what you want to do," her father said. "You can. Go. I'll be right behind you"

She needed no more prompting than this. With her father's approbation, she inhaled deeply and leapt into the water. She was going back.

Tarzan, standing on the beach, where the water met the sand, saw the exchange - albeit, from a distance. He saw Jane jump into the water. His brow furrowed in confusion. A feeling of hope swelled in his chest — perhaps she was coming back, even if for just one more minute, he would welcome it. He quelled his surge of emotion, but did not completely stifle it. She could be coming back. Perhaps. Hopefully.


	2. Chapter 2: Glorious Nature

Love of All Kinds — Chapter Two

AUGUST 1885 — Africa

"I can't even begin to imagine what everyone in London is going to say when they hear that we're staying!" Professor Porter exclaimed, chuckling. "Now, that, Jane dear, will be some good gossip for them! Won't it? The Porters, abandoning proper English society to live in the jungle. Goodness."

"I can't imagine they'll be pleased, " Jane said. "But, they'll adjust. Jane Porter refusing to yield to societal expectations shouldn't shock them at this point," she laughed, only half jokingly.

"Right you are, dear," the professor said, nodding his head thoughtfully, "I'm not known for being a conventional man, either, am I?"

Jane shook her head, "Admittedly, no. But it's served us well." She took a moment to look around. Everything seemed so bright and alive. She had abandoned her shoes and laid them on the ground a few feet away to dry in the sun. She pushed her feet deeper into the sand, relishing the warmth of it, and the coolness under the surface. The sun was still almost directly overhead, warming her face and body. The sunlight reflected off of the glossy surface of the turquoise ocean. There were birds soaring overhead, too - calling out to one another. The foliage of the jungle behind them was a rich, vibrant green - the trees created such a dense canopy that it seemed, as soon as you stepped inside, you entered a different world - one full of unmeasurable amounts of life, plants and animals alike.

—

 _the next morning_

When Jane awoke the next morning - fog hung low in the sky, and the humidity was quite nearly oppressive. The pale, early morning sun cane streaming into the treehouse through the few gaps in the trees - the only thing lighting the treehouse. She turned her head to the right to gaze out the window. She couldn't see much through the thick fog, but she could hear the jungle coming to life around her. She inhaled deeply, letting her breath go slowly. She loved the distinct smell that the air of the jungle had; it was better than the smell of London air, by far. Her eyelids still felt heavy, so she allowed them to close again.

Jane lost herself in thought again. She recalled the conversation she had shared with her father yesterday on the beach. He really was right. Them not returning to London as scheduled would be the talk of many people for a long time. She didn't care all too much - she had already had her fair share of people talking about her. There was one person that she wished she could properly explain all of this to - and share all the wonder of what she and her father had found - but she knew she couldn't, and she mustn't dwell on that, or them, too much. She didn't know if she'd miss London eventually. She didn't miss it now, that was for sure.

Jane was tired, and this, allowed herself to drift back to sleep again, in the relative comfort of the bed, surrounded by glorious nature.


	3. Chapter 3: But How?

Love Of All Kinds — Chapter Three

 _MAY 1882 — Kensington, London, England_

 _The sun was lowering, turning the sky hues of rosy pink and rich, vibrant orange. The air smelled of freshly cut grass, and that certain, indescribable scent that the upcoming summer carries as it comes. The few trees that dotted the sidewalk swayed in the late spring breeze that swept through the street. Things outside were quiet and empty at this time in the evening._

 _These sights were familiar to Jane. Godfrey Street had been her home since childhood - she knew each house that she passed. She really did know them all; there was her friend Florence King's house with its window-box filled with little pastel pink flowers, the small house where her cousin Clara used to live years ago, and her classmate Anna Watson's periwinkle blue house that had a front porch in a state of mild disrepair. She and her father - and at one point or another, her mother, too - lived in the big, cream colored house on the corner of Godfrey and Walton Street. Their front yard was small, but immaculately manicured, with lavender and a variety of other flowers growing in a garden that had been planted by Jane's mother, Ida, years ago, when Jane was still a young girl. They had maintained it for all of these years, both because it was beautiful, and it would likely have hurt her father's heart quite badly to see things wilting and overgrown there, given the absence of his wife._

 _Jane remembered her childhood in the big house on the corner of Godfrey Street and Walton Street with a great fondness. On days like this one had been - warm, mildly breezy, and abundantly sunny - she would often sit on the front steps of the porch and read a book, basking in the glory of new worlds and new knowledge. Jane had been, and still was, a voracious reader; she often times would read an entire book in one day. She smiled at these memories._

 _She could see her destination now - a mustard yellow house on the corner where Godfrey Street met Montpelier Street. Her pace quickened as she caught sight of it._

 _Reaching the corner, she ascended the four short steps onto the porch. There was a window-box here like at Florence's house, except this one held some small white flowers that looked quite a bit like daisies._

 _Jane knocked on the door, shifting her weight from foot to foot excitedly. She could hear footsteps traveling to the door, across the audibly squeaking and groaning floorboards of the foyer._

 _The door swung open, and in the doorframe, stood the exact person that Jane had hoped to see. "Jane," they said, almost breathlessly, through a thick, accent. Jane blushed, looking into the pair of eyes that stared back at her. Before her, in the entryway of the house, stood a tall girl with thick, black hair, and grey eyes that resembled the sky on the crispest autumn day of the year. The girl's thin lips stretched into a grin. "I didn't think you'd come back so soon."_

" _You know me," Jane chuckled, "I can't stay away for long."_

" _I'm learning," the girl said, stepping aside to make room for Jane to come in. She entered, looking around at her unfamiliar surroundings._

" _I've only ever seen your house from the outside," Jane noted, breathing in the scent of vanilla that seemed to permeate the air._

" _That's true, but now you get to see it from the inside, too," the dark-haired girl remarked, "I've never seen your house from the inside either, Jane. We'll have to fix that, one day."_

 _Jane blushed again, excited at the prospect of bringing this girl back to her own house. That would certainly need to happen, she concluded. "We shall, indeed," she said._

—

OCTOBER 1885 — Africa

Jane awoke with a start, sitting up and letting out an audible gasp. It had been quite some time since she'd allowed herself to think of that day, and that person - but she had never anticipated dreaming about it, and certainly not as vividly as she just had.

"Jane," Tarzan asked, "Are you alright?"

Slightly flustered, Jane replied, "Yes, of course. Everything is fine. I was just having a dream."

"A bad dream?"

"No," she sighed, "Not a bad dream - more conflicting than anything else, really." Tarzan raised his eyebrows at her quizzically. "It's just difficult to explain, that's all. There's a lot of … things to take into account, you see."

"You can try to explain. It's okay if it's difficult," he said, curious, but trying not to pry too much into the matter.

Jane wrung her hands together. How ever was she going to explain this labyrinthine situation to him? It was hard enough to explain to someone who had grown up in the more civilized corners of the world, but she knew explaining this to him would mean breaching a topic previously completely untouched and unheard of. She knew she wanted to explain it to him, but how — that was the issue…how? "Really," she said, trying to seem as casual and unbothered as she could, "It's alright, I'll explain later."

Tarzan decided to accept this answer, and leave the topic for the time being. He could sense that there was something awry, but what exactly - he didn't know. Jane nodded, understanding the purpose of his silence. She laid back in the bed, closing her eyes, and rolling over onto her side, facing the wall of the treehouse. She could feel a knot of anxiety forming inside her again. But, this time, it was different - not entirely unfamiliar, though. This wasn't the feeling that she had experienced a few months ago before she leapt off the rowboat to swim back to shore, this wasn't the same feeling she had when she finally realized her feelings for Tarzan - this wasn't even the same feeling she had when she first arrived in Africa, facing the unknown. This was different. It was a mixture of anxiety, worry, and perhaps a bit of fear. She had most certainly felt this before.

She shut her eyes tighter, and willed her body to fall back asleep - go back to sleep, and forget this for a while longer. She would handle this eventually, she promised herself - just not now.

.


	4. Chapter 4: Jane's Dilemna

Love Of All Kinds — Chapter Four

 **Hey, folks! I hope you've enjoyed this story so far. I've truly poured my heart into writing it and will continue to do so. I know this story is still in the expositional stages, but I hope that as things progress, you'll begin to understand more about me as a writer, and as a person, through my interpretations and takes on the characters of Tarzan, Jane, a Professor Porter, etc - and through my own original characters that I'm going to incorporate into this story.**

 **I feel as though, since Disney is made primarily with a target audience of young children in mind, we don't often, if ever, get to delve into the richness and complexities of the characters we love from these Disney stories. I always found the Disney-adapted story of Tarzan to be quite interesting because you get these very small provocations of thought surrounding the concept of humanity, and the question of "What does it mean to be human?" I think, perhaps, as children we don't stop and look at that - we just see the story - which in and of itself is a beautiful story, with amazing animation, and a fantastic musical score - but, I, in this story, really want to delve into the concepts of humanity, vulnerability, and diversity using these characters as the backdrop.**

 **I'm guessing that some of you have a certain image in your mind as to who my version of Jane is, how she's feeling right now, and what her thoughts are. Things likely seem to be heading in one specific direction right now, but I love complexity, so don't be too sure of your inferences at this point! Haha. I'd actually be quite eager to get some feedback on that. However, I assure you - things are not as simple as they seem. This may become a trend with our Jane.**

 **I hope I'm also able to share with you all what is prominent in my heart, and that I'm able to share my perspectives and experiences with you through the experiences and lives of these characters. Thank you all for reading this chapter, all of those before, and all of those to come.**

•••

OCTOBER 1885 — Africa

Jane sat alone, in the sunny, warm peace of the early October afternoon. The heat and humidity of the summer had proven to be too great for her to wear her favorite bright yellow dress, but now that the autumnal months were here, she could comfortably wear it again. However, she could not let her medium length, chestnut brown hair down. African weather did not seem to be conducive to that like British autumns were.

She wrung her hands together nervously. The dream she had several nights earlier had been replaying in her mind ever since that conversation she had with Tarzan after she'd awakened. This was all so new to her - feelings, and the like. She knew she could hardly hold this in forever - but she also knew that this would take a great deal of explaining, and probably be the catalyst of a slew of questions, which, she didn't know if she was quite equipped to answer. She picked up her sketchbook. Running her long, slender index finger over the sleek but well-worn red cover, she sighed. She leafed through a few of the pages. She had filled up a multitude of sketchbooks in her lifetime. Of course - some drawings were better than others. Her most recent ones were her favorite - the ones she had done since arriving in Africa. Drawing had always been such a cathartic activity.

Jane rose, and walked the short distance to her father's small camp. He had things scattered everywhere - not in an unkempt way, though. You could see how he would start one task and move onto another without a pause - likely due to the abundance of scientific discovery fueled excitement he felt constantly in Africa. "Daddy?" she called out.

"Ah! Yes!" she heard him call from inside his tent.

"May I…ask you something?" called back nervously.

"Oh, why, of course you can," he said, popping his head out of his tent, "Indeed. What is it?"

Jane pursed her lips nervously. She hasn't quite thought this through. "Daddy? Do you remember…when I was younger…a few years ago…that girl I knew?"

Her father tilted his head, thoughtfully, "Yes, yes I do. May I ask why?"

"Well, you remember how things…ended," Jane continued, struggling to get the words out, "There's really no way you can't remember that." The professor nodded. He did remember. "I had a dream about her several nights ago. But, I haven't…told him, about that, about me - in that way."

Her father knew what she was hinting at. "Do you want to tell him?"

"Yes, of course. I have to, Daddy."

"Why does this trouble you so? You've never been ashamed of it."

Jane signed. "I'm not ashamed, not at all. I'm scared, more than anything, I think. How…how am I going to explain this. Daddy…we're the first people he's ever really known. There's so much to explain. It seems like a mountain, and I don't know if I can climb it."

The professor nodded, understanding his daughter's predicament. He didn't have much to offer here. This was outside of his realm. Jane was right - there was no easy way to explain this. There was no easy way to explain this to most of British society and have them understand fully - let alone explaining this to someone who had never lived in the civilized world and had no true idea of how society enforces certain ideas and viewpoints into everyone's minds. He sighed as well. "I'm afraid you're right, Jane dear. This won't be a simple task."

Jane covered her face with her hands. "You know what it was like back in London - how people saw me after they knew."

"I do, Jane, but you must remember - Tarzan isn't those people. He isn't someone from London - he may very well surprise you in how well he can understand things for what they are."

She nodded. She knew her father was likely right. However - memories swirled in her mind like a thick, sludgy smog. It was time to be vulnerable - to let down her walls and lay it all out for Tarzan to know, and think what he would of it. It was time. There were no two ways about it. She took a deep breath. "Daddy?"

"Jane?"

"I have to do it."


	5. Chapter 5: I Am Purple

Love Of All Kinds — Chapter Five

OCTOBER 1885 — Africa

The treehouse was tranquil that evening. They had reached the end of a quiet day - nothing too drastically notable had happened, which Jane was content with. After her conversation with her father, she had returned to drawing in a warm sunny spot just outside of his camp. The sounds, sights, and life of the jungle had soothed her nerves - but only slightly. The sky was a vibrant shade of blue, and the clouds floated across the vast expanse without disturbing the warmth and brightness of the sunlight. Now the sky was a softer shade of blue, fading into hues of violet. The clouds were stained a soft pink color by the fading light. The calls and chirps of birds and insects echoed in the air around them. This was the rhythmic jungle symphony that she was accustomed to by now. It was so different from the industrial hubbub of London, and the suburban quiet of her old neighborhood.

She was still wearing her yellow dress that she loved so much. She toyed with the hem of it nervously. Jane ran her hand through her hair, and inhaled deeply, mustering up as much as courage as she could. "Tarzan," she called out.

"Yes?" he replied, coming to stand at the threshold of their bedroom door.

"I have something that I need to tell you," Jane said quickly, spitting the words out rapidly - almost like if she had paused, she may not have gotten all of the words out.

Tarzan looked at her, mildly puzzled, "What do you need to tell me?" Their conversation from several mornings ago had not yet crossed his mind. Jane patted the space on the bed next to her, signaling him to sit down. The action elicited another look, this one slightly more puzzled this time. "Is everything alright?"

Jane let out a short laugh, not quite sure of how to answer that question. "Yes, I suppose so," she said, "I just need to get something off of my chest."

Tarzan's eyes darted to her chest. There wasn't anything there that shouldn't have been or wasn't normally. "What's on your chest? I don't see anything."

Jane smiled softly, "Not literally, dear." Tarzan nodded. "Do you remember the conversation we had some time ago - early in the morning, when I woke from a dream?" He nodded again. He did remember now. "I'm finally ready to...to - you know - talk about that dream, and what…who, rather, it was about."

Tarzan was intrigued. "I would really like to know about the dream, Jane."

Jane looked at Tarzan, and saw the curiosity in his eyes. She couldn't stop now that she had his undivided, enraptured attention. "You know I'm from England - London, which is in England," she began. Tarzan nodded. He had heard Jane and her father speak of England many times since they had met. This far off country that had been home to Jane for so long enthralled him. "Well, when I was there, I had a few friends. We all lived very close to one another. We could walk just a few paces and be at one another's house, seemingly. But there was one girl that was a bit…different than all the rest." Jane searched Tarzan's eyes for a signal of understanding.

"What was special about her?"

The twisting, writhing ball of anxiety in Jane's stomach twisted upon hearing this question. How was she going to explain this? She hadn't thought this through well at all, had she? No, certainly not. She let out an audible sigh and buried her head in her hands. Lifting her head back up and looking at Tarzan again, she began to speak again. "Pardon me for being blunt, dear, but you know that I love you, correct?"

Tarzan tilted his head to the side in bewilderment. He didn't know what was going on. What ever could Jane want to tell him? "Yes. Of course."

"In civilized society, darling, it's expected…truthfully, more so required, that men love women, and women love men. Do you understand?" He nodded, still unsure of where this was going to lead. "But, as is true with many things, not every person can follow that rule. Sometimes women love women, and sometimes men love men. There's nothing wrong with this, Tarzan, I want you to understand that, dear. Love is beautiful, no matter if the people in love are both women, or both men, or a man and a woman."

"I understand," he said, nodding slowly.

"Good," she said, feeling some hope rising up in her chest, "Wonderful. Well, I don't follow that rule that society has set up," Jane continued, hearing a slight crack in her voice. "That friend - the one that I dreamed about…the one that was special, different from the rest - I loved her, very similarly to how I love you. Oh, Tarzan, I love you - I do, but you deserve to know who I am completely."

He was silent for a moment, and then slowly nodded again. "You love me?"

She smiled, "Of course I do."

"Did you switch from loving women to loving men?" he asked, innocently.

Jane smiled again, shaking her head slightly, "No, Tarzan. I'm sorry, dear, I didn't explain things clearly. Sometimes, people can love men and women - both. That's…that's how I am. It's like colors; people who love women are the color pink, and people that love men are the color blue - and when pink and blue meet in the middle, they make purple. So, I'm purple, I suppose you could say. Do you understand?"

She saw that glimmer of understanding in his eyes that she had been desperately searching for. "Jane? What happens when women love women in England?"

Jane grimaced slightly, "Reactions vary, I suppose. Most people don't approve, and they'll tell you. More rarely, people are kind and understand - Daddy is that way."

"Why don't people like when that happens?" he asked.

Jane felt more confident in her answers than she expected she would. "I don't know, truthfully, dear. It's just what people have been told is right - and people believe what they are told."

"What happened to that girl that you loved back in London?"

"We…parted ways, years ago now. I don't know if I'm quite ready to talk about that yet. It's still quite a painful memory." Tarzan's eyes softened, seeing Jane's distress at remembering and recounting those details. "Tarzan, I love you. I don't want you to think that I don't. I loved someone in the past, but, I love you now - and that's what matters."

"I know, Jane," he replied simply. She felt comforted by this. As she had expected, he had asked questions, but he had understood - and he was as sweet and kind as ever. He placed his hand gently on the side of her face, brushing her cheek with his thumb, "And, I love you."


	6. Chapter 6: Tell Me Everything

Love Of All Kinds — Chapter Six

 _JUNE 1882 — Kensington, London, England_

 _The sun was setting again - albeit, not as spectacularly as it had the last time she made the short walk to the corner where the dark-haired girl lived in the yellow house. The breeze that rustled the trees was warm and humidity from the day still hung in the air. Jane, once again, ascended the step and knocked on the door - once more hearing the groaning and creaking of floorboards as the girl came to unlock the door. "Back again, I see," the girl said, smiling._

 _Jane nodded, smiling shyly. "Indeed. There's been something I've wanted to tell you the past few times I've been here," she said, "I just hadn't quite mustered up the courage to tell you last time I visited you."_

 _The dark-haired girl tilted her head, puzzled. "What did you want to tell me?"_

 _Jane beckoned her outside. "Perhaps we could walk and talk. It's lovely outside tonight." The girl nodded, and stepped outside. There was still some light lingering around – the sky was a deep, yet bright, pink color, dotted with clouds. "Alize," Jane began, "Have you heard what people say about me - about how I'm … odd, in some ways?"_

" _I've heard a few things, nothing particularly specific, though. Why?"_

" _Well, I…I don't know how you're going to feel about this, and however you feel, I'll understand, but—"_

" _Jane," Alize said, "You're rambling. Just spit it out already. It'll be okay."_

 _Jane grimaced slightly. She knew the girl was right, she just needed to say it. "Have you ever fancied a boy?" she asked, as they rounded the corner of Godfrey Street and began making their way down Montpellier Street._

" _Sure," Alize responded, "What's that got to do with anything?"_

" _Have you ever fancied a girl - In the same way that you have a boy?" Jane said, spitting the words out quickly and nervously._

 _Alize stopped, and looked at Jane, who stopped just a second later. "Jane," the dark-haired girl sighed, and locked eyes with Jane. "Tell me the truth. The things that people say about you - do they have to do with what you just asked me?"_

 _Jane looked downwards, not out of shame or embarrassment, but out of fear. She could feel her heart beating faster than it usually did. Now was her moment of truth. She nodded slowly, forcing herself to look back at Alize to catch her reaction. She saw a slight smile flicker across the girl's face - and with that, she felt herself calm slightly. Salvaging some of the last shreds of bravery she felt as though she had left, she said, "Why yes…they do. Before I keep going, I need you to answer my question, though." She saw Alize nod slightly. She knew what she meant. Inhaling deeply, she let the rest of her words tumble out, "I-I fancy you, Alize, in a way that many people think a girl shouldn't fancy another girl."_

 _Silence hung in the air for a few moments. They simply stared at each other, waiting for the other to say something. The only sounds were that of the crickets, a few birds, and the gentle movements of foliage. Finally, Alize broke the silence. "I return your sentiment, Jane."_

 _Jane could feel her cheeks flush a soft rosy shade. "That's quite splendid…indeed," she said, smiling broadly now. The two of them stood still, merely staring at one another again - the silence more comfortable this time._

 _The sun had almost fully set now, and the air had grown cooler. The two girls made their way back to Godfrey Street - to Alize's house, hand in hand._

—-

OCTOBER 1885 — Africa

Jane awoke that next morning to the sound of birds, and the wildlife around her. She felt a certain lightness about herself - but not a physical one, more so mental - emotional, even.

"Jane?" Tarzan asked, later that day. "About last night…will you…tell me more?"

"About what?"

"About everything, Jane. Your life in England — England itself…the girl you told me about. I want to understand your world as you are learning to understand mine."

Jane smiled. "Of course I'll tell you - I'll tell you anything you want to know."

"Good," he said, nodding enthusiastically, "But first, I have a gift for you."


	7. Chapter 7: Tarzan's Gift

Love Of All Kinds — Chapter Seven

OCTOBER 1885 — Africa

Tarzan took Jane gently by the hand, leading her through the lush, verdant jungle canopy down to her father's camp.

The camp looked as it always did - slightly disheveled, but in a way that indicated that enthusiastic work was taking place. Jars and pots sat on tables, each containing a different specimen that her father had been recently studying. A journal was left open on one of these tables next to a jar containing a particularly unique purple and yellow flower. Jane assumed her father had left to go and gather more samples. She would have to talk to him about his research when she saw him later on.

Tarzan quickly pulled a small trunk out from under a large, wooden desk with nothing atop it. This served as her father's writing and reading desk, oftentimes. Jane knew that the drawers were filled to the top with already filled journals, brimming with her father's research and observations.

Tarzan placed the trunk upon the desktop and beckoned Jane over to him. Curiously, she came closer, giving Tarzan an inquisitive look. "What's this?" she asked.

He smiled and nodded towards the trunk, "It's your gift, Jane. Open it," he encouraged.

Her nimble fingers undid the latch quickly, and she pushed the top back, peering inside. In the trunk was a neatly folded bundle of maroon colored fabric. She lifted the unknown bundle from the trunk and unfolded it on the desk. She recognized what it was immediately – a two piece loincloth made from one of her old skirts, neatly sewn together with sewing skills that would rival even her mother's. She looked up at Tarzan. "Did you make this?" she asked, quietly.

Tarzan nodded, happily. "I did. Your father helped me, though. He gave me the fabric and showed me how to stitch it together."

"You'd make a good tailor, Tarzan," she joked. Jane held up the loincloth in front of her - admiring it and the sentiment that came along with it. "Oh, dear," she said, "This is lovely. Absolutely lovely."

"You like it?" Tarzan asked, excitedly. Jane nodded happily. "I had wanted to make it for you ever since you chose to stay. You, and your father, want to know my world, as I want to know yours. You share your world with me every day, and I with you, but I wanted to share mine with you - only you, Jane - in a different way."

"It seems our two worlds are becoming more one by the day," Jane said. Her green-blue eyes that reminded Tarzan so fondly of the ocean, sparkled with a new sense of happiness. The morning sun streamed in through the gaps in the trees and coated everything in a warm, golden glow - as if the whole jungle had been submerged in honey.


	8. Chapter 8: Please Believe Me

Love Of All Kinds — Chapter Eight

 **A note from the author: I just want to remind all of my readers that sections written in italics are flashbacks, moments of the past that I need to narrate to give context to currently occurring events and emotions. I just want to make sure that's clear, especially for this chapter. I would really love some feedback on this chapter, as this is where we get into the real action of the story, and chapters will be getting more lengthy. Thank you in advance for reading my work. I hope you enjoy it.**

OCTOBER 1885—Africa

Jane freed herself of her cumbersome, cadmium yellow dress - choosing to place it in the trunk where Tarzan had kept her gift. It would be a pity to discard it haphazardly, she decided, and instead chose to store it away for if she were to ever need it again. As much nostalgia as that dress held, the loincloth from Tarzan meant far more to her, sentimentally speaking. She felt free in it – free to move and run and do whatever she so desired, with no layers of petticoat and fabric weighing her down. A certain physical heaviness was lifted from her shoulders when she slipped out of her dress - as well as a certain weight that was lifted from her mind. She would never admit to this aloud, but remaining in her proper English attire for so long had made her feel distant from the jungle and from Tarzan. She, of course, marveled at the magnificent scenery and wildlife, shared in her father's passion for scientific research, and took great pleasure in being able to swing high above the ground on the vines and slide through the branches with Tarzan - and yet, she had felt more like the quiet, more hesitant version of herself that had arrived on the shore months ago, who only expected to find scientific data, and then return to England again - likely confined to a far duller future than she foresaw for herself now. Shedding herself of her Victorian trappings allowed her to leave the last shreds of the old Jane Porter behind.

Pausing to reflect - Jane thought of what may have happened if she and her father had returned to London. Her father, likely, would have been able to publish his findings - potentially reaping some fame or recognition for it. He had been well accredited back in the British universities, but such research as he had done in Africa would warrant recognition on a much larger scale from the scientific community. They would have returned to her childhood home in London - her father would have returned to tending her mother's front garden and Jane would have returned to reading scientific journals on those front steps when the weather allowed. Jane thought of that garden - hoping it had been maintained in their absence by the relatives delegated to looking after their property. And Jane herself…what would have happened to her if she were to have made the journey all the way back to London? She would likely have gone back to her normal life, at least for a bit, she concluded - studying with her father, sketching, and reading. But, Jane knew all too well that eventually she would have been nudged into a marriage with someone who would want her home, away from academia, more focused on raising offspring. Of course, she knew she wouldn't have been pushed into that by her father - but by society…that utter pest - society and it's norms.

For the better part of her teenage years, Jane had vowed that she would never give up her academia for anyone. Unless she tired of it, she would continue research with her father - and the potential of her tiring of such enthralling research seemed slim to none. Never in any of her wistful daydreams of the future had she imagined that she would be here - in a vast, completely untouched jungle with her father, and a man that she loved - and not a man that came from the stuffy Victorian English background that every other man her age she had ever known came from, either.

How her old friends in England would shake their heads at her now – a woman even more unconcerned with fulfilling a society's expectations of her than she had been back in London. Jane Porter, living in a jungle, wearing an outfit that showed more skin than any other English woman of the time would ever have dreamed of showing. Jane shook her head slightly in amusement at this thought.

"You look beautiful, Jane," Tarzan said, upon seeing her in her new attire.

Jane blushed. "It's quite…different, than what I'm used to," she chuckled. "I remember being a child and always despising wearing all of those layers - especially in summer - simply unbearable. This is much better."

"There's something else that I want to show you," Tarzan said, holding his hand out for hers again. Jane gave him her hand once more, and allowed herself to be lead wherever it was that he wanted to take her next.

They ascended a tree – one that had colossal limbs that stretched out a great distance, optimal for climbing. All of the trees in the jungle were immensely tall, Jane had noticed early on, but she had no fear in climbing high into the maze of intersecting branches if Tarzan was with her. Her loincloth made this climb far simpler than any previous ones she had attempted. With no stiff layers of fabric to haul along with her, Jane felt light and agile on her feet, climbing with minimal assistance from Tarzan.

"If I may ask," she said, pausing momentarily to look around, "Where are you taking me?"

"Somewhere special. You'll see," Tarzan said, continuing his climb.

Jane shrugged, knowing she would find out sooner or later, and continued climbing too. She remembered climbing a similar, albeit smaller, tree with Tarzan months earlier when they had first met, wherein he had showed her where a beautiful group of colorful birds resided. That was a good memory, she concluded, and hoped she would see something equally as beautiful this time.

Nearing the top of this gigantic tree, Tarzan guided her to where a massive branch and the trunk of the tree intersected. The area was large enough that the two of them could be perched there together, much like birds. Gazing through the branches of the tree – sparser now that they were quite near the top – Jane could see for what she speculated were miles out over the rest of the jungle canopy. For some reason, this tree grew just a bit taller than the rest in the area, allowing this view to be possible. The jungle looked like a sea of trees, stretching on endlessly in most directions, with the exception of the shoreline. "This is beautiful," Jane remarked, still in awe of the view. They were so high aloft that she felt as though she could simply reach out and cradle the sun between her two hands.

"Not nearly as beautiful as you, though," Tarzan replied.

Jane's cheeks flushed a shade of red that could be compared to that of strawberries in the height of an English summer. Compliments from Tarzan always made her flustered, but in a good way now - the. exhilarating kind of flustered that came with new love.

•••

 _EARLY OCTOBER 1885—Africa_

 _Early morning sunlight came streaming in through the window and the gaps in the wooden slats of the walls, dimly illuminating the interior of the treehouse, bathing it in a cool yellow light. Clothes were scattered across the floor, Jane observed, as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She noticed that she was fully undressed, as was Tarzan, who was still sleeping soundly next to her in their bed. Jane brushed her disheveled auburn hair away from her face with a swipe of her hand. She attempted to call to memory the events of the night before. She, obviously, had some semblance of an idea of what had happened, but couldn't quite be sure of the finer details. She had slept so deeply that she had little memory of the night before. Placing her hand on Tarzan's shoulder, Jane shook him awake. "Tarzan," she whispered, gently coaxing him out of his slumber._

 _Tarzan stirred at the sound of Jane's voice. "What?" he asked, likely still half asleep. "Oh," he said, more awake now, and noting his own and Jane's state of complete undress - as well as Jane's clothes and his loincloth strewn about their room, as if they'd been pulled off and thrown aside in a hurry the night before - which, more than likely, they had been. He brushed his hand along Jane's side, tracing the rounded curve of her hip. "Things…happened, last night, I assume."_

 _Jane smiled, placing her hand on top of Tarzan's, and smiled shyly. "I'm going to have to assume that you're correct, darling, just judging by the evidence," she said, gesturing around. They both laughed at this remark. The curve of a smile formed on Jane's face. She couldn't resist pressing her lips to Tarzan's, and letting her hands wander a bit, tracing the impressive, muscled contours of his body._

" _You're beautiful, Jane," Tarzan said, admiring her laying next to him, in all of her natural beauty. So often he called her beautiful, and so often she rebuffed it playfully with a quick-witted joke or with a shy smile and a shake of her head. So often she had been called beautiful by him, and every time she had never fully believed it. This time was no different._

 _Jane smiled softly, and said, "I'm the only woman you've met in your life - this is a conclusion without a comparison to prove it correct."_

 _Tarzan shook his head emphatically. "No. You are beautiful, I don't need to see other women to know that." Their eyes met, and he continued, "I love you, Jane. I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where my love began, but I know it is there, and I know that you're beautiful. Please, Jane, believe me."_

 _Jane fell silent, genuinely stunned at this sudden, articulate proclamation of love. She had no joke, or jest, or rebuttal - all she had was a warm feeling radiating from within her and the belief that what he was saying was true. Jane couldn't say much for a few moments - instead, she laid her head on Tarzan's chest, listening to his heartbeat, as he had done with her when they first met. She intertwined her slender, dainty hand with his larger, calloused one. "I believe you," she said after a while, her voice barely above a whisper._

•••

LATE OCTOBER 1885—Africa

Jane walked into her father's camp - slightly disorganized as always, she noted. "Daddy," she called out.

She heard a slight rustling from inside a tent, and then she saw her father emerge from thatsame tent. "Ah! Jane, dear! Whatever can I do for you on this oh-so-lovely day?"

Jane chuckled. She loved her father's demeanor, even if some people found it odd - she found it to be endearing. "Daddy," she repeated, more hesitantly this time, "I need to tell you something. I think…I have something going on. Something serious."

His eyes widened, "Such as?"

Jane patted her stomach gently, "You know…uh… _that_. I think I might be…pregnant-" She stopped and waited for her father's reaction. He furrowed his brow, slightly concerned. "-and I'm not sure what to do."

"Oh, my, my, my. We've got a dilemma on our hands now don't we, Jane, dear. Not an unanticipated one, but yet, a dilemma nonetheless."

Jane nodded. "Indeed, we do. I don't know what to do. I haven't even told Tarzan. I've been suspicious of this for - well - a little while now, perhaps a month." She knew that this meant big changes, perhaps more so for Tarzan than for her. She was only nineteen - and Tarzan was only twenty - still so young, and to take on this responsibility for the rest of their lives - scared her, she couldn't lie.

"You must tell him at once," her father said gently, choosing his words with care. "This is wonderful - it truly is. I have concerns, though. You know, Jane, this carries risks - pregnancy is a rather dicey business, for you and for a baby. We need to take certain…precautionary measures."

"What do you mean, Daddy?" Jane asked, although she was fairly sure she knew what he meant already. She had known several of her relatives that had been pregnant before, and was aware of the risks her father was alluding to.

"I hate to say this, seeing as we've seemingly just arrived here - and this is so marvelously lovely, but - Jane, I'm afraid, it may be in your best interests, medically speaking, to go back to London." Seeing a flicker of fear in his daughter's eyes, he quickly elaborated, "Not forever, of course, just for the duration of the pregnancy. Of course, Tarzan and I would accompany you - we're not going to just cast you off to London and see you back here nearly a year from now postpartum. Perish the thought. I just think it's in your best interest, _medically_. I'm no doctor, Jane, I couldn't truly take care of you as well as others could, if something went wrong." He said this last part with more seriousness.

Jane understood, and agreed with, her father's trepidations. She knew full well that returning to London, just for seven or eight months, was necessary - she needed to go. However, she immediately thought of Tarzan. He had lived all of his life - two entire decades - in a jungle, devoid of any other people, until Jane and her father had arrived. How could she ask him to completely uproot everything he had ever known, leave the gorillas, and go to England? _England_ , she repeated in her head, _London_ \- a jungle of sorts, full of people and infrastructure and conservative English ways of life - everything completely foreign to Tarzan. She could only contemplate how jarring that would be for him. But, she knew that there was very little choice that they had. She nodded, "You're right. But…Tarzan."

"What about him, dear?"

"Don't you think that all of this would be a bit…much for him, all at once? He's a quick learner, I doubt he'd have much trouble in London after some time, but he's spent twenty years here, Daddy…twenty years is a long time. I know he'd learn and be alright, but on more of a mental level, I don't know how he would feel about it. And, that aside, he's going to become a father - that's no easy thing for anyone to digest."

Her father nodded thoughtfully. "You're right, but, we have to go - he's an adaptive fellow, he'll be fine. After all, it takes twenty three days to sail to England from here. He'll have time to learn all about what he's going to see. But - Jane - you must tell him, now, if possible. I'll start making the arrangements to go. It will take several days more than likely, but…you know…this is no matter to be lax with."

Jane turned to leave, and to find Tarzan. Before exiting her father's camp, she turned and said, "Daddy. It's going to be November…late November, when we get to England. You don't suppose Tarzan owns winter clothes, do you?" She laughed, both out of humor and in realization of what a task bringing Tarzan to England would truly be.

Her father chuckled and scratched his head, "No, no, I suppose he wouldn't."

...

Jane returned to the treehouse in search of Tarzan, having no better idea as to where to begin looking for him. To her slight surprise, she found him there, sitting on their small bed, crosslegged. "Tarzan," she said, "You're here." This was half a statement, and half a question.

"Yes," he nodded, "I had a feeling you would be here." Jane gave him a sheepish smile, knowing that she couldn't afford to beat around the bush for long before telling him what she had just discussed with her father. He noticed her reaction, and looked at her, puzzled. "Is something wrong, Jane? You seem bothered."

"It's complicated," she sighed, "But very few things are simple anymore, I suppose."

Noting her unease, Tarzan patted the area of the bed next to him, gesturing for her to sit down next to him. She did, sitting in the same crosslegged position as him. "What's going on?" he asked. The inflection in his voice clearly indicated worry, though he might not have been forthcoming in admitting it.

"Dear," Jane began, "There are a few things we need to talk about." Tarzan nodded, prompting her to continue talking. "For nearly a month now, I've been suspecting something. It's nothing bad, quite wonderful, actually, but it's important, and very serious."

"What is it?"

Jane drew in a deep breath, and said, "I'm pregnant." The words hung heavy in the air for a moment. She studied Tarzan's face intently for a reaction.

"You're going to have a baby?" he asked, although he knew already what the word pregnant meant from reading some of the simpler books about biology and anatomy that Jane had brought with her to Africa. Jane nodded. She could see a twinkle in his green eyes that could be read as nothing other than joy. "That's…wonderful," he said, slightly in awe. He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

Jane smiled, "Quite wonderful, indeed. But, darling, this means…change. I know this is going to be difficult for you, but…I can't very well carry a child in the jungle. Being pregnant is beautiful, and wonderful, but it's…dangerous." She could see Tarzan's facial expression turning from that of unbridled joy to that of genuine concern. "Daddy and I talked, and we've determined – oh, I don't know how to say this – that it's in my best interest for us to go back to London…just for the time that I'm pregnant. All _three_ of us."

Tarzan nodded slowly, but Jane could not read his expression anymore. "I want what's best for you," he said, simply. Tarzan did not speak much after that. Jane tried to prompt more discussion, but with little success. They let the topic rest for the remainder of the day, instead choosing to spend time together in relative quiet.


	9. Chapter 9: All For You

Love Of All Kinds — Chapter Nine

NOVEMBER 1, 1885—Africa

The day was exceptionally warm, and a steady mid-morning breeze ruffled the greenery. Several trunks lay in varying different places around the treehouse, each filled with small collections of the Porter's possessions. Jane had occupied most of her morning packing for herself and for Tarzan – only the essentials, she had said - most things could be bought in London upon their arrival, anyways.

Tarzan had been gone for some time, although she had no idea where he'd gone to. They were scheduled to leave at noon, and she hoped he wouldn't be gone much longer so he could assist her in bringing the trunks to the beach to be picked up by the ship's crew. She closed the top of the trunk she had been packing with her clothing, clasping it shut. She didn't have much to bring, in actuality. Most of her dresses were suited to summer, not late autumn and winter - all that aside, most of these things wouldn't fit her in a few months, even if it had been the right season.

Looking up, she saw Tarzan, standing in the doorway of the treehouse, a small, wrapped package in his arms. Jane raised an eyebrow at him, "What have you got there?"

"A surprise. For you," he said, holding the package out for her.

She took it from him, and carefully lifted away the paper wrapping. It was a dress - a striking cerulean color, with white lace trim along the bottom and sleeves. Jane admired it for a moment before speaking. "My goodness, dear, this is beautiful! Where ever did you get it?"

"The trading post," Tarzan said, pleased that Jane seemed to like it. "I wanted to get you something nice to wear for when you…we…get to London."

Jane blushed, "Oh, Tarzan…thank you. I don't know what to say." It was a beautiful dress - nicer than any she had ever owned back in England, Jane speculated. She never attached much meaning to attire until recently. She was a different Jane Porter now than when she had left London, and, perhaps this was a way of showing that.

—

NOVEMBER 1, 1885—Atlantic Ocean

Jane returned to the small room that she was sharing with Tarzan on the ship after a brief stroll around the deck. It was a beautiful day - somewhat reminiscent of the day that she and her father had arrived in Africa, albeit, a little cooler. She reflected on that day - how naive she had been by virtue of her age, how guarded she had been in some sense - and now, how she'd grown and opened up. It was certainly expected that she would return to England one day - but that would be for good, not like this - not pregnant and with the intention of returning to Africa.

Jane finally reached their room, and opened the door. It was a small room - just enough space for two people to share, but she didn't mind. They would only be here for a little while. She entered the room and saw Tarzan there, pacing back and forth across the floor. He seemed worried, she observes, although she couldn't guess exactly why. "Tarzan?" she said, "Are you alright?"

He turned to face her, slightly caught off guard, not noticing that she had come in a moment earlier. "Jane—yes, I'm fine. Perfectly fine."

"You most certainly don't seem fine," Jane replied, "I know you better than that."

Tarzan grimaced slightly, knowing that he'd been silly to think she wouldn't notice this eventually. She was so observant - much like her father. It must be all the scientific research that made them so keen and aware of things, he concluded. He nodded slowly. "You're right. I'm not fine." Jane raised her eyebrows, not thinking that he would admit to this so easily. "I'm worried."

"About what? Oh, it's not about the pregnancy, is it? It's going to be fine. I didn't mean to give you the wrong impression when I said that pregnancy was dangerous. It is, but only if you don't see doctors and such. Daddy has made arrangements for me to see doctors. It's going to be fine, I promise."

He shook his head, "No, I know, it's not about that. It's about England. I'm…scared." For someone who had lived his whole life in the jungle, fear was not an emotion he felt often - and he certainly wouldn't admit to it easily, either. "I don't want to embarrass you."

"What ever do you mean?" Jane asked, genuinely bewildered.

"Look at me," he sighed, "I'm not English. I've heard you talk about England - there are so many rules and things that you can and can't do. I don't know those rules, Jane - I've never lived with people aside from you and your father."

"You'll learn, Tarzan, I know you will," Jane said, patting his back reassuringly.

"People back in England…they expect you to marry a proper English man, don't they?" he asked. Jane nodded. "And, that's not me. I don't want people to judge you for being with me."

Jane sighed, understanding his fear. She had no reservations about going to England with him - she didn't care what people thought about her. She was happy, and that's what mattered. This wouldn't be the first time people had judged her for who she loved, either. "I'll admit, that's a valid trepidation. There's nothing you could do to embarrass me, love," Jane said, "But you're right, people might have…thoughts—less than kind ones."

Tarzan knew this already. "I'm going to do my best to be English - for you."

"You really don't have to, Tarzan, it's really fine."

"I know I don't have to. I want to. You and your father have lived in my world every day for months. I want to at least try to live in your English world…for you."

Jane smiled. She knew he was smart - she knew that from the beginning, but she didn't quite grasp how emotionally intelligent he was. "I appreciate that. And I appreciate you telling me what you're feeling." Jane was acutely aware of how difficult it likely was for him to be vulnerable emotionally after decades not having anyone to talk to about anything.

"It's all for you, Jane."

•••••

 **I just wanted to give credit where credit is due (to a reader of mine), to TwilightSparkle3562 for the idea of incorporating Jane's blue dress from the trading post into the story.**


	10. Chapter 10: London

Love Of All Kinds — Chapter Ten

NOVEMBER 25, 1885—England

The morning sky hung dreary and grey over the Southampton port that particular day, the clouds threatening rain and the sun nowhere in sight. It was not horribly cold, though - not enough to worry about incoming snow, at least. A sharp wind whipped around, biting at people's cheeks, casting them all in a rosy pink color. Typical English winter weather, Jane concluded on her final stroll around the deck of the ship.

She returned to their room one last time to gather her personal hand luggage and depart with her father and Tarzan. She swung the door open - it creaked on its old, rusting hinges as usual. Tarzan was there, as he had been when she left. He was dressed in a dark navy blue suit - a very nice suit, in fact, one she had only seen once or twice before - his father's suit. Jane had no idea that Tarzan had brought it along with them. They had bought clothing for him from the trading post several days before departing, and planned on purchasing more upon their arrival in London, but there had been no mention of the suit. Admittedly, he looked slightly awkward, like he didn't know how to move or what to do in the confines of clothing - truth be told, this was likely true. "Tarzan, you're wearing your father's suit," Jane said, slightly shocked, but pleasantly surprised. He had always been so hesitant to touch the suit, let alone wear it. But, despite his awkwardness, he looked the part of a young Englishman.

He nodded and smiled, "I thought I should look…more civilized, for our arrival." She knew that their conversation at the beginning of the trip had been poignant, and that the month spent sailing across the Atlantic to England had been fraught with worries and fears on Tarzan's part. She could see that he was trying, though - sheer will and determination etched into his face, taking things on board, and trying valiantly to not stand out from any other English man that you'd find in London's streets. For someone who had never set foot in the civilized world, he was keenly aware of its rules and expectations. "And, after all, you look so nice, I wanted to look nice as well…next to you." Jane looked down at her blue dress - knowing what it, and the suit, seemed to symbolize.

"You'll be fine," Jane said, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, "Daddy and I will be with you the whole time."

...

A train took them the remaining miles to London. It rumbled and rattled beneath them, which proved to be oddly comforting to Jane. This brought her back to her younger years - childhood - a childhood filled with little trips here and there, aboard trains just like this one that barreled past towns and fields faster than you could blink.

They sped through the countryside - through massive, rolling fields, not as green as they might have been at the peak of summertime, and through quaint towns. Tarzan looked around in almost childlike wonderment, his eyes filled to the brim with curiosity. Along the way, Jane and her father pointed out things to him, explaining what each of them was — houses, administrative buildings, schools, libraries, barns, sheep, horses, cows, different clothing that people wore. He soaked in everything, excited to be finally seeing all of the things that he had heard about for months, since the time that he met the Professor and Jane. Perhaps, to some, he seemed so strong and outwardly unafraid of anything, and yet. he couldn't hide his emotions well - or, at least not from Jane and her father. Jane could read his facial expressions with more and more precision the longer that she knew him. She could tell that he was still nervous, minding his every action and observing others' actions, blending in the best that he could.

The train finally rolled to a stop at King's Cross railway station in London. Jane peered out the window excitedly, having her first true glance of the city she had left behind.

London was seemingly a jungle in its own regard - teeming with people who all walked with their heads down, determined to get to their location as quickly as they could, maneuvering around the maze of streets almost by memory, surrounded by the towering, old stone buildings. Tarzan gazed around in awe at what he was seeing - things he had never even imagined. "This is London?" he asked, despite knowing that it was.

Jane nodded, "This is London."

"A fine city, if I do say so myself," her father chimed in cheerfully.

It was a bit of a walk to the corner of Godfrey and Walton Street in Kensington - but Jane insisted on making it. She wanted to see London again, to look at the places she knew so well from childhood, and to show Tarzan these things. Tarzan walked next to Jane, both of them behind Jane's father, who led the way. They each carried their luggage with them - Jane had insisted on taking hers herself, as it was not too heavy, despite numerous offers from Tarzan to carry hers as well as his own.

Tarzan walked slowly and carefully, a bit awkward still walking in a bipedal fashion. He knew his gate looked odd, and he tried his best to look natural like Jane and her father did. Walking on all fours would have been more comfortable and far quicker, but that wasn't an option - the clothes wouldn't allow for those kinds of movements, and he didn't want to attract unwanted attention. But he - and Jane - could see the heads of several passersby turn to look at Tarzan. His long, dark, wild hair and well over six foot tall body attracted attention, too. Jane and her father paid little mind, both in their own regards, used to attracting attention.

As they walked, Jane pointed out a plethora of different things - the park where she used to go to sketch and read books, the University where her father taught and where they had conducted research together, and the library where she had spent hours upon hours sat at a desk, reading academic papers and journals. She remembered so much about these places - the way the flowers in the park smelled in the springtime, the high arching ceilings of the university, and the way that the library was always warm and smelled vaguely of dust and old books.

Godfrey Street came into view, and Jane breathed a long sigh. The air smelled of crisp leaves and the smoke billowing from many house's chimneys - it smelled just the same as it always had at this time of year. It had been so long since she had sat by a fireplace to warm herself after a long walk during the winter. She was looking forward to that - and tea, she and her father had missed tea so much in their time away from England.

The street looked as long as it ever did, it's houses stretching on, one after another - each one, Jane knew, still by heart. They had reached the Porter's house. Jane hadn't seen it since the early summer of that year. It looked the same as it always did - the cream colored paint slightly worn down, her mother's garden still in tact. The three of them stood on the sidewalk in front of the house, staring at it for a moment. "We're back," Professor Porter said to no one in particular.

The large, old, two story house loomed in front of them - a bit more intimidating than they had remembered. They had been away for what seemed so long that these streets seemed somewhat foreign.

"This is our home, Tarzan - this is where I grew up." He nodded. Jane cast a glance down the road, towards a small yellow house - Alize's house. She hadn't seen it - or her - in years. That had been so long ago.

Jane took the lead, climbing the several steps onto the front porch, carrying her suitcase behind her. She turned the key in the lock, and pushed the door open. It was a bit squeaky, too - much like the door of her room on the ship. She stepped inside, followed closely by her father, and Tarzan trailed behind a bit.

They set their baggage down in the front room, and looked around. Everything looked almost untouched from the time that they had left months ago. The walls were all painted a soft periwinkle color and thin white curtains hung beside the windows. There was a small, narrow spiraling staircase that led to the second floor. The stairs creaked a bit from age, as did some other parts of the dark, wooden floor. Bookshelves lined one wall of their sitting room, filled with books of all kinds, both fictional and academic.

"I suppose we ought to get settled, then, shan't we?" Jane's father said, heading towards their kitchen - likely to make himself a cup of tea, Jane thought. She was almost certain that her Aunt Eloise had left some tea at their house for them for when they arrived home when she had come to prepare things for their arrival. She knew them well enough to know that they would want tea.

Jane took Tarzan gently by the hand and led him up the twisting staircase. On the second story was a long hallway, with one door to the left of the staircase and two to the right - these were the bedrooms and the Professor's study. Another door stood directly across the hallway from the stairs, which was the lavatory. Jane turned to the door on the left, which led to her room, and opened it. It had been so long since she had seen her bedroom, with its pastel yellow walls and white lace curtains pulled across the window. On sunny days, particularly in summer, the light would come streaming in through these curtains and cast a beautiful golden glow over everything. Jane's mahogany writing desk was just as she had left it - littered with pencils and fountain pens, a few books resting in the corner, and another one of her sketchbooks left open. Her bed was positioned in the far corner of the room, with the foot of the bed directly next to her window, which had a perfecf view of the street corner. Jane had so often sat at the foot of her bed and peered out the window, watching people pass by the corner - imagining who each of them might be and where they might be headed to. There were several framed photographs hanging on Jane's wall. Her bedroom wasn't large, or fancy by any stretch of the imagination, but it was hers. "This is my bedroom, dear. It's been my room for my entire life."

"It's lovely, Jane. It's nothing like our bedroom in the treehouse, though."

Jane smiled and shook her head, "It's nothing like the treehouse at all, that's for certain."

"Who is that?" Tarzan asked, pointing to a woman in one of the photographs on Jane's wall. He was pointing at a photograph of Jane and her father, and there was another woman with them too - one that he didn't recognize. The woman had brown hair that fell in soft, loose curls around her shoulders. She looked strikingly like Jane, or rather, Jane looked strikingly like her.

"Oh," Jane said, "That's my mother."

"You've told me about her before but I've never seen a photo. You look so much like her."

Jane smiled again, fondly remembering her mother, "I suppose I do." Jane sat down in the chair next to her desk, only now realizing how fatigued she was from their walk. Being nearly two months pregnant was catching up to her, as her body had been changing for the past few weeks. Glancing at her open sketchbook laying on her desk, she saw that she had drawn an ornate bouquet of flowers - one fit for a bride, even. This jolted her, a thought swiftly dawning on her, "Oh my goodness!" she exclaimed, "Tarzan, I'm afraid I've forgotten something terribly important." He looked at her, puzzled. "We're going to have a baby, but we aren't married."

"Married?"

"Yes, when two people make a commitment to be together for the rest of their lives - that's a marriage."

Tarzan thought for a moment and then said, "I would like to be married to you, Jane."

Jane smiled. This was nothing like the storybook wedding proposal that she had dreamed of as a little girl, but, it was lovely all the same. "We'll talk to Daddy about it tomorrow. I'm sure he'll know who to contact to marry us. Daddy always knows what to do, I've learned."


	11. Chapter 11:From Mother, With Love

Love Of All Kinds — Chapter Eleven

DECEMBER 1, 1885—Kensington, London, England

The Professor, as Jane had predicted, knew just the people to contact to marry her and Tarzan. He seemed to know everyone in London in some way or another. As much as he would have liked to have given his daughter and her soon to be husband a fairytale wedding, with all of the finest, most polished details - time did not allow for such things. Jane wanted to be married before her baby arrived, after all, and wedding planning took a long time. All things being taken into account, he concluded that Jane and Tarzan would marry at the courthouse on the first day of the new year. Christmas would have come and gone by then, and that would be a large event in and of itself. The courthouse was a large, regal looking grey stone building - certainly no wedding chapel, but not a bad venue, either.

Jane had imagined her wedding many times before, but never had she thought about all the smaller details that she would need to plan. Thankfully, this would be a small ceremony of sorts - just her, Tarzan, her father and whoever would carry out the ceremony and pronounce them married - thusly, she had less on her plate than she might have if they were to be married in a church and to have a large ceremony and reception. She knew that this would be a small, quick ceremony, but she still deeply desired a wedding dress to call her own. Even if no one saw it aside from the attendees of the wedding, she wanted to have a wedding dress of her own. It was a very special day and she wanted something special to commemorate it in a tangible fashion.

On a particularly sunny day, she walked the short distance to a bridal shop that she had gone to with an elder cousin of hers when she was younger. She opened the door, and stepped inside. It was quite warm in here and it was very welcome, as it was quite cold outside, despite the sun. A somewhat familiar voice greeted her as she entered the shop. The speaker had a warm and melodic voice, with a heavy accent,"Hello, miss, how can I help you?"

Jane looked up to greet the speaker but her breath caught in her chest when she saw who it was. Before her was a young lady with long jet black hair and grey eyes with flecks of green. Of all the stores in London, and of all the people in London - this girl was in this very shop that Jane had come to. It was Alize. Jane was lost for words for a moment. They both stood facing one another in stunned silence. "Alize, it's you," Jane finally managed to blurt out. "I haven't seen you in…years."

The dark haired girl smiled - the same smile that had once released a whole flurry of butterflies in Jane's stomach. "It's me. I haven't gone far, Jane."

"How have you been? It's been so many years since we've spoken."

"I've been fine, I suppose. Nothing too exciting to report. I still live in the same house, the same flowers are in the window box, you know. How have you been?"

Jane smiled, not realizing how much she had missed seeing Alize until now. "I've been…well. Lots of things going on, you know - Daddy is still doing his research, I'm still helping him."

"You both went to Africa for some time, if I remember correctly. I heard some talk around here that you weren't going to be coming back. I see they were wrong." The French woman said, secretly glad that the Porters had not stayed in Africa forever. She had missed Jane for a long time, and was quite forlorn to think that she had missed her chance to rekindle the connection they had years ago.

Jane chuckled. "They're not exactly wrong, Daddy and I are going to go back to Africa - we just have…business…to take care of here." Alize seemed slightly crestfallen to hear that they would be returning to Africa, but she hid her disappointment.

"I'd love to hear about it, sometime. I've missed you," Alize said - and she meant it, she truly had missed Jane. After years of not speaking, it was good to see her again. She was just as beautiful as she had always been, her auburn hair falling around her shoulders and her eyes sparkling. "But, I suppose I better ask what I can help you with today…Miss Porter." They both laughed at this. No one really ever called Jane 'Miss Porter' anymore.

"Ah, yes, right," Jane said, refocusing on the task at hand. "I've come here to buy a wedding dress, which I suppose makes sense, considering where we are and all."

"I didn't know you were seeing anyone," Alize said, raising an eyebrow, "I haven't heard anyone mention it, and you know how people talk."

She nodded, knowing exactly what she meant, "It's a bit of a long story," Jane replied with a short laugh, "I'll tell you sometime. I'd like to see you again, after all."

...

An hour or so later, Jane left the bridal shop, having chosen a dress that would be delivered to their residence the next day after it was tailored. She also left the shop with a promise from Alize that they would see each other again and Jane would explain everything that had gone on since the last time they spoke. It would be a lot to explain, she admitted to herself. After the circumstances of their last parting, they had a lot of catching up to. She hoped against hope though, that they wouldn't rehash the details of the last time they spoke, though, those were painful details to recall to mind.

Jane returned home, and went to her bedroom. She laid down on her bed, and stared at the ceiling, deep in thought. Seeing Alize again had been undeniably lovely, but it had also pulled some long suppressed feelings to the surface. Before she could lose herself too deeply in her own thoughts, she heard a knock at the door. She opened it, and saw her father standing in front of her. He held a small box in his hand, wrapped in thin paper. "Oh, Daddy! It's you," she said.

"Indeed, it's me, Jane, dear. I have something I would like to give to you."

Slightly puzzled, Jane stepped back so her father could enter the room. He sat in the chair at her desk, and she sat at the foot of her bed. He handed her the small, wrapped box. Jane was genuinely perplexed as to what could be inside. "What's this, Daddy?" she asked.

"Well, I've had this for a long time," he began, "Its from your mother, you see, and she wanted to give it to you on your wedding day. But, of course, that won't be possible," he continued, sounding quite sorrowful at the mention of his wife. "I wanted to give it to you now, as I feel as though it's the right time."

Jane turned the box over in her hands, tracing its edges with her fingers. "May I open it?" she asked, and Archimedes nodded. She lifted the paper away, and opened the lid gently. Inside was a necklace, wrapped in black cloth. It was a beautiful necklace - a delicate gold chain with a small peridot gemstone hanging from it. Jane recognized it immediately as her mother's and her own birthstone. Under the necklace was a note. She carefully unfolded it and read it aloud, "Jane, I've always had the intention of seeing you grow into a beautiful young lady - and I've often dreamed of giving this necklace to you on your wedding day. As you may well now know, that likely won't be possible. So I'm leaving this note here for you, in lieu of saying these words myself. I want you to have this necklace. I received it from my mother on my wedding day, and I now want you to have it. It seems only right, and peridot is our birthstone, after all. It just seems meant to be. Whoever you may marry, I wish you both happiness for the rest of your days. From mother, with love."

Jane and her father sat in silence for a while. Neither of them knew what to say, and neither of them really wanted to speak first. After a while, her father sighed, "I wish she were here, you know," he said, wistfully staring out the window.

"As do I," Jane agreed, "But this necklace is lovely. Thank you, Daddy. It means a great deal to me."

"Anything for you, Jane, dear," he said, placing his hand over hers. He couldn't help but look at the photograph of the three of them that hung on Jane's wall. Albeit with a few exceptions, Jane was the spitting image of her mother. It had brought him comfort during the years since her passing to see Jane, and to know that his wife was still there, in some sense or another.

Jane wondered what her mother would say and do if she were here now. She wondered if her mother would have like Tarzan - would she have gone to Africa with them? Would she have helped Jane plan the wedding? She didn't know. And she never would, sadly. Jane felt in her heart though, that her mother would have been proud of her, and that she would have liked Tarzan. "I wonder what mother would say if she were here," Jane said with a sigh, "I wish I knew."

"As do I," the Professor lamented. "But, Janey, she would have been proud of you. You've grown into such a strong, wonderful young lady." Jane smiled. She hoped that her father was right.

...

DECEMBER 8, 1885—Kensington, London, England

Several days had passed, and It was now a week or so into the month of December, and London had not yet seen its first snow. Jane had told Tarzan about snow, but he had not yet seen it, and if she was being honest, she couldn't wait to see his reaction.

They awoke early one morning, just after the sun had risen. Pale winter sunlight came streaming in through Jane's lace curtains. Tarzan rose, tossing the blankets off of himself. He stood in front of the window and pulled the curtains back. The world outside was coated in a light, powdery dusting of what he could only guess was snow. He crossed to Jane's side of the bed and shook her shoulder gently. "Jane," he whispered excitedly, "I think there's been...snow."

Her eyes fluttered open, and she groggily mumbled, "Snow?"

He nodded excitedly, urging her to get out of bed and look out the window with him. "Yes, yes - Jane, come look."

She couldn't help but smile at his innocent, unbridled excitement. She had seen this several times before and it never ceased to endear her. She peered out the window and said, "I see you're correct, that is snow."

She could practically see his eyes light up with excitement. "Can I go outside?"

She smiled, "Of course you can, dear. Just remember to put on your shoes and a jacket first."


	12. Chapter 12: A Ring For Jane

Love Of All Kinds — Chapter Twelve

MID DECEMBER 1885—Kensington, London, England

Tarzan poked his head through the doorway of the Professor's study. He was seated at his desk, scribbling words down quickly in one of his many journals. Tarzan waited for him to put his pen down before speaking. "Professor?"

Archimedes turned to face him, "Ah! Tarzan! What can I do for you, my boy? Please, come in." He motioned towards a chair, beckoning Tarzan over to it.

Tarzan sat down in the chair, and looked at the Professor. "May I ask you for some advice?" Archimedes nodded, waiting for Tarzan to continue. "Jane has been telling me about the things that are going to go on at our wedding. She's told me about vows - and how we say them to one another before we are officially married. But, Professor, I don't know what to say. What do other English men say? I want the wedding to be perfect for Jane. She deserves the best."

The Professor's expression softened, feeling some sympathy for the man sitting in front of him. "Tarzan, you know that Jane loves you, correct?" Tarzan nodded. "So, whatever you say to her, my boy, will be perfect to her, because she loves you. It will be perfect because it will come from you. Never mind what other men might say - she doesn't care a wit what other men might say in their wedding vows." Tarzan nodded again, feeling quite comforted by the Professor's words.

"I just don't want to embarrass her by being uncivilized."

The Professor's heart truly ached for Tarzan. He could see how focused he was on being the perfect, proper, civilized Englishman for Jane, despite all of his background that would incline him in the opposite direction. "You needn't worry about being uncivilized, Tarzan. You're doing remarkably well. Jane would never be embarrassed by you. She loves you for you, for what's in your heart," he said, pointing to Tarzan's chest with his index finger, "You've got a good heart. Civilized or not, that's what matters to Jane and that's what matters to me."

"Thank you, Professor," Tarzan said, nodding. He may have been a man of few words, but Archimedes could see Tarzan relax a bit with his reassurances.

"And, I'll tell you what, you and I have quite a task ahead of us, my boy!" The Professor continued.

"What's that?"

"We need to go to get the rings for your wedding, of course!" he exclaimed, excitedly. Tarzan had thought about this for some time, actually. He wanted to get Jane the most beautiful ring - but he hadn't known where to go, so he was grateful that the Professor had brought it up.

"You're right," Tarzan said, "I want to get Jane a beautiful ring for our wedding. She is beautiful and deserves the perfect ring."

The Professor smiled, seeing how much Tarzan truly loved his daughter - his only daughter. He had often sat up at night, wondering about Jane's future - who would she marry, would they be good to her, would she be happy? All of these fears seemed to be quieted by Tarzan, someone who Archimedes trusted completely with his daughter. His daughter, Jane Sylvia Porter, certainly deserved the best, and by Jove, Tarzan was the best for her. "That she does, my boy!"

...

A few days later, Archimedes and Tarzan traveled to a jeweler in the center of London - the same one that the Professor had purchased his and his wife's wedding rings from a little over twenty seven years ago. On their walk, the Professor took several detours with Tarzan.- one of which was to the University where he taught primatology and naturalism, and where he and Jane had done their research prior to traveling to Africa. "Tarzan, you see, this here - this great University - is where I teach. For years, Janey and I researched gorillas here. My goodness, such magnificent research it is, too! So fascinating! But, that's a story for a different time. What I wanted to say to you, dear boy, is that without this place and that research, you and Jane may very well have never met." Tarzan knew that this was true. Without their research, the Porters never would have traveled to Africa - and he most certainly would not have met Jane and her father. "But, I'm so grateful that you two found one another - and through the wonders of scientific curiosity, no less!" he chuckled.

"I know," Tarzan said, somewhat somberly, "I'm very…grateful, for this place - and for you, Professor. You, and science, brought Jane to me, in many ways."

Archimedes nodded. "I suppose you're right."

...

After some more time spent in the halls and classrooms of the University, they continued on their way to the jeweler. They spent a long time looking at many different rings - all of them beautiful, but none of them quite right for one reason or another. At last, Tarzan and the Professor were shown, what they deemed to be, the perfect ring. It was a delicate silver band, adorned with a diamond and two smaller blue stones on either side. Tarzan couldn't quite explain why, but this just seemed to be the right ring. He bought it, along with a corresponding ring for himself. He and the Professor brought the rings back to the Porter's residence and placed them in a lockbox, to be kept there until the day of the ceremony.

"Do you think Jane will like the ring?" Tarzan fretted.

"Shh," the Professor comforted, "Of course she will."

"I'm sorry, Professor, I know she will - I'm just nervous. I want all of this to be perfect."

"I know you do, Tarzan. It will be perfect, I assure you. I admit, I didn't expect you to be this nervous. You seem like such a stoic chap. I expected Jane to be a bit more…antsy about the whole ordeal than you."

Tarzan smiled. It did seem to be a huge case of role reversal. "I'm nervous about a lot of things." The Professor raised an eyebrow, as if to ask what he was nervous about. "I'm very nervous about the baby."

Somehow, Archimedes wasn't expecting this answer. Of course, he had been nervous before Jane had been born, but for some odd reason - he had assumed that Tarzan wouldn't be nervous. He was wrong, apparently. "What are you worried about?"

"I don't know how to be a good father," he blurted out. "Professor, I never had human parents. I don't know what to do. All I know is…gorillas. That was my entire childhood. I don't know what human parents do."

"Well, Tarzan," Archimedes said, placing a hand on Tarzan's shoulder, "Every parent is nervous about taking care of their children - even me, I'm no exception to the rule. Jane will help you, as will I. You'll be alright. You'll learn."

—

DECEMBER 17, 1885—Kensington, London, England

Jane and Alize sat at the Porter's immaculately decorated dining table in their large dining room. The walls were painted a very light powder blue color - one that seemed to compliment every season and time of day. They each held a cup of hot tea in their hands. It was quite cold outside, with a thin dusting of snow blanketing the grass, so the warmth of the tea was quite welcome. "So," Alize said, taking a sip of her tea, "Jane Porter. What's been new in your life?"

"Quite a bit," Jane admitted, feeling slightly like she was being interviewed, "I don't know if you've heard what happened between Clayton and, well, everyone else involved in the trip to Africa."

Alize nodded and laughed, "I think nearly all of London knows about that by now. His family isn't all too pleased with what transpired and talk travels quickly."

"I can't imagine they would be too keen on what happened," Jane replied. She hadn't even paused to think about Clayton for quite some time - she especially had not stopped to think of his family. Neither she or her father had heard from them, and they both hoped that they never would. It would be a tense meeting if it ever came about. "You know about Tarzan then, don't you? I assume if you know what happened with Clayton, you must know about him, too."

The French woman raised an eyebrow at this, having never heard this name mentioned before. "I've never been given the pleasure of hearing this name," Alize said.

"Well, we met Tarzan in Africa. He was raised by the gorillas there. And, in my time in Africa, I grew fond of him - quite fond indeed," Jane began. "You remember when I came to buy that wedding dress, don't you?" Alize nodded. "Well, that's my wedding dress for my wedding to Tarzan on the first day of the new year. I'm quite pleased."

Alize had to continue smiling for the sake of politeness, but she had to admit, her heart sank a bit. She had tried to block out the fact that Jane was getting married since the time she had seen her at the bridal shop. There was so much unfinished business and so much left to be said between them regarding the circumstances of their parting. Alize couldn't say that she fully moved on, or that she completely happy with how things had ended between them. At the time that Jane had come to the shop to purchase the dress, she had no idea who Jane was marrying. It had all been very mysterious until now. "Oh! Wonderful!" she exclaimed, hoping her intonation covered her inner dismay.

"Quite," Jane said, "And I have some even more exciting news," she paused for a moment, "Tarzan and I are going to be having a baby." She gently touched her stomach, which had begun to poke out just a bit.

This genuinely did shock Alize. She had always seen Jane as a woman that would not want children. Perhaps she had been wrong. "Oh? I'm ever so happy for you, Jane. When are you due to have your baby?"

"July, early July, I think."

"I never expected you to have a baby - at least not so soon. But, nevertheless, that's terribly exciting."

"You know," Jane chucked, "Things happen. I didn't necessarily anticipate a baby either but I'm pleased that it's going to be with Tarzan. You should meet him - soon. I'd love to introduce you two," she remarked.

"That would be…nice," Alize said. She honestly didn't know how she felt about potentially coming face to face with who Jane was going to marry. She was happy for her, of course, but things were complicated between them still.


	13. Chapter 13: Wedding and Wondering

Love Of All Kinds — Chapter Thirteen

Christmas had come and gone with moderate grandeur. The Porter's had never been a family to be ostentatiously festive at the holidays, but this being Tarzan's first Christmas, they decided to celebrate a bit more indulgently than they usually would.

It was 1886 now - a whole new year stretched in front of them, a blank slate waiting to be written upon. The last night of 1885 had been spent at home, with a warm fire crackling on the hearth, a luxury that Jane had missed during their time in Africa.

Today was their wedding day. Jane and her father had both separately imagined what this day would be like throughout their lives, but now the moment was upon them. Tarzan, on the other hand, having had no knowledge of weddings for most of his life, had only recently begun imagining what the day would be like when it finally arrived. Professor Porter has told him much about weddings, even showing him the photos from his own wedding, which Tarzan marveled at. It was odd to see a much younger Professor Porter, wearing a formal suit - next to his wife; Jane's mother.

Jane didn't have much time to mull the coming events of the day over in her head, though, as a carriage was coming to take them to the courthouse, and it would be coming soon. She quickly slipped into her dress and fixed her hair. She put on the necklace that her mother had left for her all of those years ago. The peridot stone sparkles and the rich, green color contrasted nicely with the pale quality of her skin. She had contemplated wearing her mother's wedding dress, which had been stored away in the house's attic, but had decided against it, as it would have been a bit too painful for her and her father to have her mother so close, and yet not there. Jane had been to several weddings in her life, but never had she truly imagined herself as the bride - wearing a beautiful dress and adorning her face with make up.

She met Tarzan in their foyer, along with her father. Tarzan was, of course, wearing his father's suit - unbeknownst to Jane, with their wedding rings tucked into his pocket. She had not thought much about rings, assuming that Tarzan would not have thought about something so material and traditional - which was understandable. Her father wore a dark suit, a very similar shade of navy to the suit that Tarzan was wearing. Jane recognized this suit as the same one that she had seen in his own wedding photos to her mother from the spring of 1858.

She drew in a deep breath and said, "Today's the day, isn't it?"

Her father nodded, "Oh yes. I truly wish your mother could be here to see the both of you. And, I know we don't speak of them much, but I do so wish that Tarzan's parents could have been here too."

Tarzan and Jane both nodded somberly. They didn't speak of Tarzan's parents often - not really knowing what to say about them mostly, as they were so shrouded in mystery - but they did wish that they, as well as Jane's mother, Ida, could have been there to see them marry. "I wish they were here too, Professor," Tarzan said, surprising Jane. He did not often pine to know his human parents, adamantly content with his upbringing and life amongst his gorilla family. He most especially did not speak about this longing if he felt it.

But, in fact, during his time in England, seeing the interactions between the Professor and Jane, Tarzan had longed more and more for his human parents. He had thought about them often, wondering who they had been, and who he might have been if they had been alive today. All he knew of them, really, was what they looked like. He had uncovered a photo of them in the treehouse - a strong looking man with an angular face and dark hair, and a woman with softer features and hair a similar color to Jane's - from what he could tell, at least. The photograph had worn with age and some details had become muddled and hard to distinguish. He had never shared this yearning with Jane, as he didn't truly know how to. He loved the gorillas as if they were his family — because they were his family — but he was human, and in some capacity, longed for the same feeling of humanity that everyone else seemed to have here in London. Despite his time around the Porters, and his time in civilization, he still felt very removed from it all - still opting to walk on all fours around the house and occasionally wishing he could free himself from the confines of clothes and wear his loincloth again.

At that moment, the carriage pulled to a stop in front of their house, and they all made their way to it. It was a short ride to the courthouse by carriage, much shorter than walking. They arrived there in a few minutes, and the three of them walked inside.

The courthouse was quite large, with a dark wooden floor and wood paneling on the walls - it smelled of cedar, and felt warm in contrast to the bitter day outside. They entered the main piece of the building where a judge was waiting for them. Professor Porter seemed to know this man well, as he greeted him with a warm smile and a firm handshake. "Ah! Mr. David Cooke, it's been a long time since I've seen you, my good fellow. How lovely to see you again, on such an important day." Pleasantries were exchanged between the two for some time. Jane and Tarzan stood in polite silence until the two men had finished.

After much of the obligatory, traditional wedding ceremony, it was time for the exchanging of vows. This made Tarzan particularly nervous. He had thought long and hard about what he would say - he wanted it to be perfect, not only for Jane but for himself, too. Over time, he had begun to see how special this day actually was going to be for them for the rest of their lives. As much as he was a part of the gorilla family in the jungle, he was also a part of the Porter family in London - those two things were equally important to him now.

"Would you like to speak first, Tarzan?" Mr. Cooke asked.

Tarzan nodded, and drew in a deep breath. "Jane," he began, taking her delicate hands in his own larger, more calloused ones, "I may not know all of the fancy words that other English men know. I may not be as civilized as the other men in London - but your father told me something some time ago." He looked towards Archimedes briefly, looking for any indication that he was doing well. The Professor smiled and nodded at him encouragingly. "He told me that I have a good heart, and that having a good heart is what really matters - more than big fancy words or being completely civilized. I think he's right. He's right a lot, you know." Archimedes chuckled at this remark. "You've shown me the world in a very literal way. Without you and your father, I wouldn't be here in London. I never would have left Africa. And, I love you. I love you more than any metaphor could ever describe, so maybe it's alright that I can't really give you one. I'm here, and I'm ready to spend my life with you."

Jane smiled softly, discreetly trying to brush away the few small tears that had rolled down her cheeks. She spoke next in a strong voice, one where you could only slightly tell that she was choked up, "I don't want to go on and on - I tend to ramble when I'm nervous…not that anyone would've noticed that, of course," she giggled, half out of amusement and half out of nervousness, "But, I'm so happy to be here today, making a promise with you, Tarzan, to be with you the rest of our lives. My mother left me a note since she could not be here in person - and she said that she wishes us happiness for the rest of our days. That is what I wish for you and I - and our baby - as well."

It was not Jane who had tears streaming down her cheeks this time - it was her father. He was an exuberant, positive man, not one for much emotion, but he could not hold back - especially at the mention of his own wife, and his daughter's coming baby. He looked at the wedding band on his left ring finger and thought of his wife - a beautiful, intelligent, independent woman, so much like Jane. He knew for certain that she would have been so proud if she had been standing here today, witnessing the wedding herself. She would also have been as excited as he was to meet their grandchild. He hoped that his daughter's child would be much like Jane - but like Tarzan, too; brave, and bold, yet full of compassion and understanding.

Tarzan reached into his pocket and procured the ring he had bought for Jane at the jeweler. He took her left hand, and carefully slid the ring onto her finger. "Your father took me to a jeweler to buy you this ring. I don't know why, but it just seemed perfect." Jane admired it - he was right, it was perfect, and very beautiful.

After a bit more obligatory talking on Mr. Cooke's part, they were pronounced married. They shared a brief kiss, pulled away, and stared into one another's eyes. Tarzan took Jane's hands in his and laid them together, palm to palm, as they had done so many times before. Archimedes spoke next, "Congratulations, Janey dear - and Tarzan, my boy."

...

Later that night, Tarzan and Jane sat on their bed in Jane's childhood bedroom. "Jane," Tarzan began, "Can I ask you something?"

"Why, yes, of course," she replied, turning to face him. She could see Tarzan's eyes gazing intensely at her in the way that they always did when he was thinking deeply about something. His eyes were particularly focused on the small, rounded protrusion of her pregnant stomach.

"Do you ever think about my parents - my human parents?"

Slightly taken aback by the question, Jane answered, "From time to time, yes – why?"

"I've been thinking about them a lot since we've gotten to England. I see you and your father, and I see the way you both talk about your mother, and then…and then I look at myself. I don't have human parents, I never knew them. I don't know what human parents do." Jane's expression softened from one of shock to one of sympathy. "What if I'm not a good father to our baby?"

"You'll be wonderful, Tarzan. You don't need human parents to know how to love someone. You've learned a great deal from the gorillas, perhaps more than you might learn from human parents. Although, I must admit - I'm awfully curious to know who your parents were. If only there were a way to track down records. Without a name, that would be a bit of an impossibility but nevertheless, I'd be fascinated."

The thought of finding out who his human parents had been had never occurred to Tarzan, truthfully. He knew that Jane was right - without names, or even certainty as to their nationality, finding out would be impossible, but yet, he wondered.


	14. Chapter 14: Braver Than Before

Love Of All Kinds — Chapter Fourteen

 _JULY 1882 — Hyde Park, London, England_

 _Hyde Park was one of Jane's favorite places to go, no matter how she was feeling. She could always find some solace in the burst of greenery in the middle of the bustling hub of London. For this reason, she had brought Alize here with her today. The two of them sat on a thin blanket that they had spread out in the shade of a large tree. The afternoon sun was hot, and the shade was welcome. Jane wore her yellow dress, as she so often did, seeing as it was her favorite - and Alize wore a white dress adorned with lace that starkly contrasted with her black hair and the cherry red lipstick that she wore so often._

 _They had talked for some time about mindless things before Jane had the courage to broach the topic that she had really wanted to. "Alize," Jane said, drawing in a deep breath, which the young French woman read as a sign that Jane was nervous, "I've wanted to ask you this for some time now, and I know it's a bit of an intimidating idea, but - I was wondering if, well, maybe, you'd like…to begin courting."_

 _Alize was shocked. Ever since that walk they had taken together where they had confessed their true feelings for one another, they had spent a great deal of time together - enjoying being together without the looming cloud of potentially unrequited romantic feelings, but to everyone else, it just appeared to be a close friendship. Of course, the two of them knew the truth. "Jane…you know what would happen if we did that. You know, perhaps better than I do."_

 _Jane did in fact know what might happen if they began publicly courting. She had grown up in a home where all kinds of love were nurtured and embraced - whether it be between a man and a woman, two women, or two men. In the Porter household, all love was welcomed. But, she was acutely aware that not all - not many - households and families were like hers in that regard and others. She had been taunted for talking about her interest in girls when she was younger. It hadn't bothered her so much as it had confused her. She saw nothing wrong with liking girls - after all, they were so pretty, and soft. She had so often gone home and asked her mother and father why everyone seemed to think it was so wrong, and they never really had an answer. They had merely told her that some people just didn't understand certain things, and people are often afraid of what they don't understand. Now, sitting here as a much older girl, she knew precisely how true this was. "I know," she lamented, "But, I don't care if people don't understand it or like it. We should be able to be like other people our own age, shouldn't we?"_

 _Alize nodded. "No, Jane, of course we should. We should be able to court, but…you know how people would react. And, anyways, we could never legally marry if we wanted to do that."_

 _She was right, and Jane knew it. If they were to court, it would either be in some complicated form of near complete secrecy, or it would be known by everyone, but under deep, constant scrutiny. Jane had endured that scrutiny for years, and would gladly take it on in full if it meant being able to love who she loved. But - Alize had no real experience with these things, understandably making all of it a bit more daunting. "I'm sorry, I realize you're not…used to being somewhat of an outcast of society," Jane chuckled._

 _Alize nodded and smiled, "You're right. You always know what I'm thinking before I do, somehow."_

" _It's probably all of the science. It does wonders for your predictive skills."_

" _Hmm, for now, I'll take that explanation," Alize laughed. "But really, Jane, you're a great deal braver than me. I don't know if I'm ready."_

 _Jane understood, and empathized greatly with Alize's plight. Though it was not her own experience, she could imagine how difficult it would be to want to be honest with who you are, all whilst being confronted with the world's prejudices against who you really are. Only now did she truly realize the full caliber of how important her upbringing had been. It had never once crossed her mind that she should not be exactly who she was. Whether it was liked by society or not, she was encouraged to be herself. But not everyone was. She knew this, but had never seen it in such a personal way before._

" _What do you want to do, then?" Jane asked softly, gently rubbing Alize's hand. "I'll let you take the lead here."_

" _I don't know, honestly. What I want to do and what I feel like I can do are two very different things at the moment, Jane."_

" _I know. Well, not really, but I can imagine."_

" _We could just continue doing what we have been," Alize suggested, "I really feel like it's what I can handle - at the moment, at least. The future might be different. Things can change, I can get braver."_

 _Jane understood, not wanting to push this conversation any further than it needed to go for the time being. The afternoon sun felt a bit hotter now - not so much comfortably warm but now stiflingly hot. She did not know what to do. Society was such a dastardly thing sometimes, she thought. All of these rules and things that you must and mustn't do for reasons that no one truly knew._

 _..._

 _SEPTEMBER 1882 — London, England_

 _Some time had passed since that afternoon conversation in Hyde Park, and things between the young women had grown more distant, much to Jane's dismay. The feelings had not faded away - quite the opposite, actually. The stronger their feelings for one another grew, the more distant Alize had become. Jane knew why - as she had said that day in the park - all of her scientific background had done wonders for her predictive and investigative skills._

 _It seemed, to Jane at least, that the stronger that their feelings for one another grew, the more Alize withdrew - likely because of the implication of these feelings. They wanted to court, like any other young pair their age, but the prospect of that was far too daunting for Alize. Jane was ready, more than ready - she had been ready even before that day at Hyde Park - but she had no intention of rushing or forcing anything._

––––––––––—

JANUARY 1886 — Kensington, London, England

Alize and Jane sat across from one another at the Porters' dining room table again, both silent after having gone over the events that had taken place before they had parted ways. "And," Alize said with a sigh, "That's why I'm having such a hard time now, Jane. I wasn't brave enough then - but I had never stopped loving you. I'm brave enough now, but it's also too late now."

Jane gently wiped a tear from Alize's cheek with her thumb. It hurt her heart greatly to hear this. She, for years, had never stopped loving Alize either, but now…there was Tarzan, and she loved him dearly. "I'm sorry," Jane said, her voice cracking and quivering a bit. "This is hard for me too. There's a baby on the way, and Tarzan. I loved you for years, but…it's too late. It mustn't have been meant to be."

Alize pressed her lips together tightly, holding back more tears. "I know, I could never ask you to leave him for me - never, ever. I see how you look at him and how he looks at you. We looked at each other like that once, too. I can't take that away from you, or him."

It had been a difficult afternoon, and Jane decided that it would be a good idea to take their minds off of all of these painful, heavy things with a nice cup of hot tea.

...

"So, you saw Alize again today, Janey? It's been so long since you've seen her. Such a nice girl," Archimedes remarked later that night over dinner. He had always liked Alize, a smart young woman, someone he thought would have been a lovely match for his daughter had Jane not met Tarzan on their expedition to Africa.

"Mm," Jane hummed in response, "We talked for a long time. It was a bit difficult."

"How so?"

"We has to dig up a lot of old feelings. Old wounds are a bit raw now. You know things didn't really end on the best terms with her, Daddy. A lot had been left unsaid until today."

He did know. He knew very well. He had comforted her all of those months and years wherein things were up in the air between the two young women. He knew all too well what they had gone through. "Ah, yes...I recall it now. That was quite a difficult period for the both of you. But," he said, "You have Tarzan now, and a baby coming along. I know Alize well enough to say that she's happy for the both of you."

Jane nodded, looking down at the rounded bump of her pregnant stomach. "Yes, quite happy. As happy as she can be, I suppose. Daddy, I'm so happy too, but I dare to say I think we'll always wonder what may have been, but, we needn't dwell for too long on things like that."

"Quite right, Janey dear - quite right indeed. You're a smart woman."

Tarzan had not said much since Alize had gone. He had overheard the conversation between the two women, but not on purpose. Sound carried too easily in this old house to allow for much privacy. He had, and still did, feel quite divided about the whole thing.

He knew that they had loved one another, and made one another happy - and he wanted Jane to be happy. But, she was also happy with him, and she had no intention of leaving - ever. There did not seem to be an easy conclusion to all of this. As much as he prided himself on his knowledge of civilized ways and relationships, he did not always fully understand them. Relationships in the world of the jungle were not so complicated and not so painful. He thought, perhaps, this was for the best.


	15. Chapter 15: July 7, 1886

Love Of All Kinds — Chapter Fifteen

JULY 6, 1886—Kensington, London, England

The smog-ladened air hung damp and heavy over London, the thick, grey clouds blanketing the city in shade - a typical English summer afternoon - one which reminded Tarzan of his African home, and reminded Jane of the discomfort that came with her extremely pregnant state. In the past few months, as she had progressed steadily through her third trimester, Jane had found everything increasingly tedious and difficult. Despite her protestations, her father and Tarzan had made her rest, insisting that she mustn't do anything too strenuous. She had known her fair share of pregnant ladies, and none of them restricted their activities - but, Jane respected her father and husband's wishes.

Jane had spent most of the day inside, in her bed, with the curtains drawn and the windows closed to keep out the abrasive heat as best she could. She had wanted to be alone, not one for company in such a state of discomfort. The summer made her feel stifled, on top of the pains that came with being nine months pregnant. She had spent many days confined to bed sketching or reading - but on a day like today, she had no energy or desire to do any such activities.

Archimedes knocked on her bedroom door, pushing it open a bit so that he could see his daughter. "Janey, dear," he called out softly, "How are you feeling?"

Jane rolled over in her bed, turning so that she could face her father. "Oh, Daddy," she sighed, "I do wish it weren't so hot, I'm quite miserable. I can't help but wish that this baby would make its way into the world already. I'm ever so uncomfortable." She could not tolerate heavy layers of petticoats and dresses any more - nor did most of her old clothing for anymore anyways - so she had spent many of the days like this one in her thin white summer nightgown.

It was an unusually hot July afternoon, the professor had to admit. Jane did look quite hot and uncomfortable, but he could not predict when the baby would come. He knew it would be very soon, though. "It was a day quite like this one, actually, when you were born, my dear," he observed, recalling the thirty-first of July of 1866, Jane's birthday, to mind fondly.

"Now I feel horrible for Mother," Jane chuckled in spite of herself, "I'm beginning to suspect that no one actually enjoys being with child. Did the doctor say when the baby would come? I can't seem to remember."

"Any day within the week, if I'm recalling rightly," the professor mused, placing one hand on his chin thoughtfully. This would make sense, he concluded, as Jane had most likely fallen pregnant in the beginning of October the previous year. "Everything happens all in due time. Don't fret. You'll be holding your baby soon enough."

...

JULY 7, 1886—Kensington, London, England

The rest of the day had passed painfully slowly for Jane, but with the setting of the sun, the air had cooled drastically. She had managed to eat and drink, and sit with her father and Tarzan in the living room of their house.

She and Tarzan now slept soundly next to one another in their shared bed with only a thin sheet covering them. They had slept for hours, and it was now close to three in the morning. Jane had not slept soundly at first, uncomfortable as usual - but had drifted off into some semblance of a slumber a few hours ago. She was awakened with a jolt of pain. She knew what was happening. She wasn't quite sure how she knew, but she did. She reached out her hand and placed it on Tarzan's shoulder, shaking it gently.

He stirred, opening his eyes groggily. "Yes?" he asked, sounding dazed, "Are you alright, Jane?"

She shook her head a bit but then stopped, not wanting to worry him too much. "I need you to go get Daddy," she said, "It's happening."

He sat up with a start, and stared at her, a mixture of fear and fascination spread over his face. "What's happening?" he asked hesitantly, "Is it...that?" He pointed to her stomach, big enough to make most tasks, even airing up in bed, an ordeal now. "The baby is coming?" Jane nodded silently, gesturing with her hands, urging Tarzan out of bed and to retrieve her father.

A minute or two later, Archimedes stood in the doorway as Tarzan returned to the bedroom. He looked tired, but all of them did, and none of them had expected the baby to come at such an inconvenient hour. He brushed his hand through his disheveled white hair and tidied his mustache with a swipe of his hand. The candle on Jane's bedside table, which she had lit when she woke, flickered slightly, sending splashes of dancing golden light across the room. It was dim, but they could all see each other well enough. The true pain of contractions had not set in yet, but the two men could see Jane's discomfort. They knew instinctively that it was time.

Archimedes quietly reassured Tarzan and Jane that everything would be alright before slipping away to his study to call the doctor he had arranged would oversee things when this time came. Tarzan retrieved a small gas lamp from a cupboard and lit it, illuminating the room further.

Jane looked up at Tarzan, her ocean colored eyes glimmering with excitement, but also clouded with nervousness. "Are you ready, darling?" she asked. She grimaced as another wave of pain washed over her.

"Well, I have to be, more or less," Tarzan said. Jane breathed a deep sigh, not sure if she was entirely ready herself, but she knew that her husband was right – she had to be ready. She tried to imagine her mother giving birth to her nearly a full two decades ago. She had asked her father about it, and she had asked her mother too when she was still a young girl. She felt oddly close to her mother in this moment.

The doctor arrived a short while later. Jane had met him several times before in passing - and he had been a childhood friend of her father from grammar school, so she trusted him. If her father thought he was a suitable choice to take care of her at such a precarious time, she trusted his judgement. He was a short, portly man with a large mustache like her father's - albeit, his a bit more grey than white. He brought with him a sleek leather briefcase packed neatly with a few medical instruments. Jane had known young women in her family to give birth like she was, at home - but more often than not, they were tended to by midwives, not trained doctors. She hadn't the slightest idea of the cost to bring this doctor here to oversee her, but she knew it must have been quite a sum. She knew that she could have gone to one of the city's hospitals, but she wanted to give birth at home, like the rest of the women in her family had, including her own mother.

Tarzan was far less concerned with the sums of money and the familial history of home births for the Porters that was on Jane's mind - rather, be was more fascinated with the medical instruments and the science behind the birthing of a human baby. It was all so foreign and yet so intriguing to him. Of course, being around a formal, civilized doctor such as this one, Tarzan quelled his curiosity, and drew himself up like a proper Englishman, not wanting to give any indication that he knew very little of the human reproductive processes in a tangible sense. He knew the concepts, but had never seen them.

Professor Porter milled about the room nervously, not sure exactly what to do with himself in this moment. He had been nervous at Jane's birth, but these were a different breed of nerves entirely. He gazed at his daughter, a light sweat already forming on her forehead. But, he also saw Tarzan sitting attentively and quietly by her side, and he decided that with someone like Tarzan there - and with a doctor like this one, they would all be alright. Despite these reassurances - he could not fully banish worry from his mind.

...

It had been hours. The sun had risen and was steadily climbing in the sky. There had been much pain on Jane's part, and much more on the part of Tarzan and the Professor. But, at close to noon, Jane finally was holding her baby. Tarzan gazed down at Jane, and the tiny human in her arms. He didn't know quite how to feel - a mixture of joy and love and awe.

Archimedes sat down gently next to Jane on the bed. He looked at Tarzan, who sat on the bed too, on the other side of Jane. He could see Tarzan intently studying Jane, and their baby. They had a beautiful baby - a girl with fair skin, and verdant green eyes that were a perfect tiny replica of Tarzan's. She also had soft wisps of bright red, auburn hair.

"Janey, dear," Archimedes said, placing a hand on Jane's shoulder, "You did so well. I'm ever so proud of you. Your mother would be so proud, too."

"Thank you, Daddy," Jane mumbled, very tired now after her long hours of labor. She laid her head against Tarzan's chest and allowed her eyes to flutter closed for a moment.

Before he left, the doctor returned to Jane's bedroom, holding a sheet of paper and a quill. It was a birth certificate. Jane placed the baby in Tarzan's arm, taking the quill and birth certificate from the doctor. She wrote quickly and carefully, wanting to get this done with so she could rest with Tarzan, and admire her baby.

 _Emily Gaia Porter, born 7th of July 1886._


	16. Chapter 16: Returning and Reassurance

Love Of All Kinds — Chapter Sixteen

AUGUST 1, 1886—Kensington, London, England

Since that fateful July morning, rest had not come in abundance for Jane, or Tarzan. Even Jane's father felt the familiar tiredness that came with a new baby in the household. He had not felt that in decades, nearly - since Jane had been a baby. Moments of peace and quiet had been seldom, but there were some still to be had in the late hours of the night. Jane was tired, but still sat up at night, reading and drawing. No amount of fatigue could steal her passion from her.

Much time had been spent by Jane merely thinking, pondering the future. This was both a blessing and a curse. All of her life she had thought things through, perhaps a bit too thoroughly for her own good - causing her to question her own convictions from time to time. The mind was a funny, fickle thing - she had decided long ago.

She knew that she wanted to return to Africa - to once more immerse herself in the verdant, abundant foliage and to once more be a part of the gorilla family that she and her father had joined in their staying in Africa. At the same time, she felt a nostalgic tug on her heartstrings to give her daughter the same childhood that she had. Jane was acutely aware that this wasn't possible - the idea of her and Emily having the same childhood experiences was a bit far-fetched, to say the least. But, the idea of her own daughter growing up in this house, the same one that Jane had grown up in, did entice her. It enticed her greatly, in fact. She imagined a girl just like her, dressed in frilly dresses like she had been, exploring books and nature.

She shook her head a bit, at least temporarily halting her thoughts, keeping them from running away with her. She knew that it would be entirely unfair to expect to stay in England. She had promised Tarzan that they would return to Africa, and she could not in good conscience go back on that promise. She herself, deep down in her heart, wanted to return to Africa, as did her father. Perhaps so many months in England had gotten into her head.

Doing as she always had done when she was unsure of her next step, she consulted her father. "Daddy?" she said, knocking on the door of his study, which was already ajar.

He looked up from the journal he had been reading, and turned his attention to her. "Yes, yes, what is it, dear?" he asked.

"I've been feeling ever so conflicted recently," she began, sighing deeply, "Whether to stay, whether to go back, it's all so...complicated."

"You want to return to Africa, don't you?" Archimedes asked, raising an eyebrow. He couldn't imagine Jane wanting to stay in England - not now, after the baby, and after what she had promised Tarzan. He would certainly miss the luxuries of life in civilization, but for his daughter and her husband, he would give those up without a word of protestation.

"Of course," she said, running a hand through her hair, "I just can't help but want to give Emily the same childhood that I had - an English one."

"I see, I see. Well, Jane, your childhood was civilized - completely so. Both your mother and I were raised in civilization, and always lived civilized lives. But, you know Tarzan, that's not his story. You can't expect an always civilized woman and a newly civilized man to come together and give a child a fully conventional English upbringing." He paused, gaging Jane's reaction. She seemed to be understanding his point, but he continued, "You can teach her all of the civilized customs and morals that you want to, but, she is just as much a part of Tarzan as she is a part of you - and you know what that means, don't you?"

Jane nodded. "It means we're going to go back to the jungle."

"Right you are," he praised, placing a hand on his daughter's knee. Jane had known that this was the truth all along, but she needed to hear it aloud - from someone she trusted more than anyone else in the world.

"Will we ever come back here again?" she asked.

"Why, of course," her father said, "At least, if it were up to me. I've arranged a kind of deal, if you will, with the captain. He'll check on us when he sails our way and if we want to return to England for a visit, he'll take us."

He could see a sparkle in Jane's eyes, knowing she could still return after they left. Her daughter, and any subsequent children, would know England - would know this house, and the places that she and her father so dearly loved. "Do you have a date arranged that we'll return to Africa?" she asked, actually a bit excited now, and with far less trepidation.

"Mm, yes, by the end of the month, I'd say," Archimedes said, leafing through the pages of the calendar that sat on his desk.

Unbeknownst to Jane, the night after this conversation, Tarzan came to the door of her father's study, knocking softly at the door which was already standing open a bit. The professor marked and closed the book he had been reading, beckoning for Tarzan to come in and sit in one of the empty chairs. "Professor, may I ask you something?" Tarzan said.

"Well, of course."

"Does Jane want to go back to Africa…truly, in her heart?"

Archimedes nodded. "Yes, my boy, of course she does. I talked to her, just yesterday, in fact, and she does want to return to the jungle."

Tarzan leaned forward a bit, "She seems so happy here, and now that she has her baby…I didn't know if she didn't like the jungle anymore."

The professor's eyes softened, clearly observing the still present naivety that Tarzan possessed, despite his age and assimilation into civilized culture. "She loves the jungle, still - let alone like," he chucked. "I know Janey, I can see that she wants to go back, even if she seems all caught up in nostalgia and such things."

Tarzan nodded, understanding most of what the professor meant. Even if he did not fully understand all of his words, and all of the emotions going on within Jane, he trusted Archimedes, and found comfort in his reassurance.


	17. Chapter 17: A Lot Like Us

Love Of All Kinds—Chapter Seventeen

SEPTEMBER 1886—Africa

The ocean rolled gently, lifting the small canoe and setting it back down again to the rhythm of the waves. A soft breeze blew, rustling the leaves of the trees, and carrying the familiar jungle scent to them. Jane could smell that familiar natural aroma that permeated throughout the jungle - a mix of flowers and grass and soil. "It's feels strange to be back here, again," she said, brushing flyaway strands of hair out of her face with one hand. It had been a long journey back to Africa from the port in Southampton - it was good be out on the open ocean, slowly but steadily making their way towards the shore, and towards the treehouse. As excited as she had been to return to Africa, she could not quite feel the same excitement for a month long ocean voyage, with little room to move about.

"Quite strange, indeed," her father agreed, casting a glance back towards the steamship that had brought them here. The crewmen would be sending one of their men with one more canoe, bringing their belongings to the shore.

Jane had left much of her clothing back in Kensington, not seeing the point in bringing trunk upon trunk of clothes back to the jungle, when she only ever wore the same few, simple outfits. She had brought her yellow dress - one thing she would never leave behind - and a few others. Despite bringing these, she most yearned to put back on her two piece loincloth that Tarzan had given to her nearly a year ago. Whilst on the ship, she had sewn Emily a smaller two piece loincloth, much like her own, except this one a bit more spacious to allow room for the cloth diapers Jane had purchased before the voyage. In London, she had bought dresses and all of the things an English child would need - but she decided, after a few, somewhat heated discussions with Tarzan, that their daughter should grow up wearing what her parents did. It was the jungle after all, and proper Victorian clothes could be stifling, even on the coolest evening in the jungle. She reminded herself that they would return to England again one day, and she would have the simple pleasure of traditional English motherhood, if only for a short while.

She gazed out into the wall of green - trees and bushes and tangles of vines. She imagined her daughter doing the same things that she done in her initial time in the jungle - swinging on the vines and sliding along tree branches - assisted by Tarzan. She also hoped that her daughter would grow to love English life as well. Jane could not imagine a world without art and science and books - wonderful books - and she hoped that her daughter would one day share this sentiment.

Tarzan seemed distracted - perhaps more caught up in getting back to the jungle than he was imagining his child's future. Jane could understand this, though - he had left such an integral piece of his being behind in order to go to England with her - and returning would be a momentous occasion for him, and for the animals of the jungle as well.

By the time they reached the shore, a thin sheen of sweat had formed on Jane's brow. She had been in England for so long that she had forgotten how hot and humid the jungle could be. The air felt thick and damp, as if you could swim through it. The sun was high overhead, and it beat down on them relentlessly. Jane looked forward to reaching the treehouse and the shade of the jungle's lush canopy. Even a parasol's shade didn't help out in the open with all of this sun - but Jane held a small one above her and Emily's heads nevertheless; any shade was vital.

As soon as she returned to the treehouse, she abandoned her formal English apparel, changing into her two piece loincloth. Despite the changes in her body since having a baby, she still wore it - regardless of the midriff exposure it gave. There was no one else around for miles and miles aside from the Porters and Tarzan, truly, and no one to look at her slightly less toned and fit postpartum body with a critical eye. After this, she did not have much to do apart from waiting for Tarzan to return from the shore with their trunks of belongings.

While she waited, she sat in one of their woven wicker chairs, holding Emily. All of the curtains on their windows had been drawn back, and thin streams of sunlight made their way inside. She closed her eyes and let the warmth of the jungle soak into her skin once more. She had missed the sounds of the jungle - birds, insects and animals - all of which she had studied in depth. She felt at home again, just as much as she felt at home in England. But, this was a different home - a wilder, freer home.

It took Tarzan longer to return than she had anticipated. Nearly an hour had passed, and only then did he return, placing their belongings down. "What took you so long?" Jane asked, not truly concerned, just curious.

"Just…seeing how things have changed," he replied with a shrug, "And I helped your father set up his camp again." Jane nodded, realizing exactly how long they had been away, and how much can change in that time. "Jane," Tarzan said, "Why don't you...go see your father at his camp. I have something I...need to tend to."

Jane raised an eyebrow curiously, having no idea what he could have been up to. "What do you need to do?"

"Nothing important, just…something," he said, not wanting to reveal anything.

Jane knew that if he didn't want to talk, he wouldn't, and so she did as he had suggested, and made the walk to her father's camp. The grassy path looked the same as it always had, although it had become quite overgrown in their absence. Her father's camp was as it had been - several tents arranged in a circular pattern, and his laboratory equipment situated in the middle. "Ah! Janey!" her father exclaimed, popping his head out of a tent, "I wasn't expecting you."

"Tarzan told me to come visit you. He...had some business to attend to."

"What kind of business?" Archimedes asked.

Jane shrugged, "Your guess is about as good as mine is, at this point, honestly. I'm sure if something was amiss, he would tell me." She looked to her father for reassurance on this.

He nodded thoughtfully. "Mm, I'm sure. I do recall him mentioning something to me about a gift for you a while ago. Maybe it's to do with that." Realizing he had said too much, he hastily continued, "Although, I really don't know what it could be - no idea at all - it's a mystery to us both!"

Jane chuckled. Her father could never keep a secret for long - especially not from her. She didn't dwell too much longer on what it could be that Tarzan was doing - after all, she had a baby to attend to, and there was still a lot of jungle left to stroll around in the meantime.

A while later, Tarzan entered Archimedes' camp, gracefully swinging to the ground from a branch using a sturdy vine. "Jane," he said, upon seeing her sitting in a woven hammock strung up between two trees, "Can you come back to the treehouse with me? I have something for you."

Jane followed him, curious to see what he had in store. She missed swinging through the trees as Tarzan did, but she was not as fit as she was when they had left Africa - and she had a baby to carry now, as well. Not wanting to leave Jane behind, Tarzan opted to walk next to her back to the treehouse. When they arrived, Tarzan pushed open the door and beckoned Jane inside.

In the middle of the room was a crib - one made of thin, supple tree branches, laced together meticulously with expertly knotted vibes. "Did you…make this?" Jane asked, somewhat in disbelief.

He nodded proudly. "I made it before we left, I just needed to bring it here — that's why I asked you to go see your father. He…didn't tell you about this, did he?"

Jane shook her head, "No, no - not exactly, at least. You know Daddy can't keep secrets, which is a good thing, generally but it backfires when surprises come into play." They both laughed. Jane examined this handmade crib more closely. The workmanship was astounding - to think that something so beautiful and strong was made entirely from natural materials was quite impressive. "Thank you, Tarzan," she said quietly. "It's funny, this," she continued.

"What's funny about it?" he asked, puzzled.

"It's a lot like us...or a lot like our daughter, actually," she began, "A crib is a very civilized notion, but it's made entirely from jungle materials. You've combined two worlds into one - and that's what we are, and what we do, isn't it?"

He nodded. She was right - as she usually was - and he hadn't even thought of it this way until this very moment in time. "You're made of a lot more jungle than you might think," he said.

Jane was puzzled by this, not exactly sure what he meant. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, you don't feel like Jane who's come from England to live in Africa anymore. You just feel like Jane. I would have understood if you wanted to stay in England. It's where you're from, in some ways, it will always be your home. But you came back here again, and it feels right."


	18. Chapter 18: Me Versus You

Love Of All Kinds -— Chapter Eighteen

JANUARY 1887—Africa

The days and nights passed quickly - days becoming weeks, and weeks becoming months. A season had come and gone, and life felt normal, tranquil and pleasantly repetitive, for both Tarzan and Jane. Jane would rise early in the morning - but never earlier than Tarzan, who seemed to be awake and active as soon as the sun rose above the horizon. Jane would stay in the treehouse with Emily - sometimes making trips to the shore, but more often than not, to her father's camp. Tarzan would come and go intermittently throughout the day between the things he attended to in the jungle – but he would always be back at the treehouse before the sun began setting. It was a pleasant and comfortable repetition.

In no time at all it seemed, Emily could walk and talk some. Her bright red hair had grown, straight for the most part, but curling a bit at the end. Her eyes were still a perfect replica of Tarzan's - a green that only the jungle could rival in intensity. In fact, she seemed more like Tarzan than Jane had expected. She was always eager to venture out into the nature of the jungle, accompanied by one or both of her parents. She was fascinated with the animals and life all around her - a trait she likely inherited from both of her parents, in some way or another.

She was not much like Jane - at least at this point. Jane had been a far quieter, more reserved child, even at this early of an age - but she and Archimedes had speculated that some aspect of this quiet nature may come with time and age.

The night was balmy and a light rain dropped rhythmically on the roof of the treehouse and slapped against the windows when the wind blew. The air felt sticky and damp, making Jane ever more grateful for her two piece outfit. Jane, Tarzan, Archimedes and Emily were all in the treehouse this night as it was too cool and objectively too inclement to sleep outdoors, or in the professor's case, in a tent. Jane had put Emily to sleep for the night, leaving her, Tarzan and her father to occupy themselves. "It's quieter than it's been in ages, isn't it?" her father remarked, chuckling slightly.

"Mm," Jane hummed in agreement, "It is." She took a cup of tea into her hands - it wasn't very hot, but warm enough to be relaxing. "Daddy?" she asked suddenly, "Do you think Emily will be anything like me?"

Her father raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh, of course, I'm sure. Why's that, Janey?"

Oh, I don't know," she sighed heavily, "i just…want to see myself reflected back in her. I want to see myself in her like you see my mother in me, you know?"

The professor nodded thoughtfully. "Jane," Tarzan interjected, "Everything will be alright." He cast a glance towards the room where Emily was sleeping, before turning his attention back to his wife. "I'm going to teach her everything she needs to know about the jungle, but you'll have time to teach her anything and everything that you want her to know about England. Just because we're in the jungle doesn't mean that you don't count." Jane still did not look comforted. Tarzan shot a glance towards the Professor, who merely looked back at him, offering no advice on how to reassure his daughter. He was as perplexed as Tarzan on how to ease her worries. "As much as I want her to be like me, I can't control it - maybe she'll be like me, maybe she'll be like you - maybe she'll be like neither of us. We just have to accept who she is as we see what that means to her."

Jane smiled sheepishly, feeling a bit silly now. She knew he was right, she had known it all along, but it was merely her nature to fret. She couldn't help it. "Still," she remarked, "I can't help but feel like she's going to be an awful lot like you."

"Is that a bad thing?" Tarzan quipped, a small grin pulling at the corners of his mouth.

"No," she laughed, "It'll just take some adjusting to, that's all."


	19. Chapter 19: I Want To Know

Love Of All Kinds — Chapter Nineteen

MARCH 1902 — Africa

Over the next decade and a half, Emily had grown tall and fit - possessing the musculature not befitted to an English woman of her time and age, but one similar to her father's - one of someone who had spent essentially their entire life in the jungle. She nearly matched her father in height as well, standing at least four inches taller than her mother and grandfather. One of the few resemblances she seemed to share with Jane was their hair - they both had beautiful auburn hair, although, Emily's was longer, and a bit more unruly. She had angular features, and the same verdant eyes as Tarzan.

They had made several journeys to England in the past fifteen years - not as many recently, though. They had not been in many years, and most of their English clothing lay untouched in trunks in the treehouse. With the establishment of the nearby trading post years ago and the development of the world around them, it seemed that they could enjoy small slices of English life from their almost completely untouched jungle home.

Archimedes had continued his zoological and botany research - although, most of it remained unpublished. This did not displease him, however - he cared more for the discoveries themselves than he cared for the glorification of being the one to have published those discoveries. His camp was the same as it always had been - books strewn around on desks, beakers and equipment spread out nearly neatly on tabletops, and a chalkboard easel that stood in a corner with formulas and sketches.

Jane had just returned from the trading post. It always seemed like a longer walk on the way back, she thought, climbing up to the porch of the treehouse with her basket of purchases slung over her shoulder. She reached the porch, making her way towards the treehouse door. She heard the soft thud of a pair of feet landing on the wooden porch behind her. She turned on her heel to see who it was. It was Emily, landing gracefully on the railing of the porch from a vine. Jane noted how much Emily resembled Tarzan, in this moment - a bit more wild than English. "Oh, you're back," Jane said, continuing into the treehouse, Emily close behind her. "Where have you been all day?"

Emily shrugged, following her mother inside. "Nowhere really, just...around, you know."

"Very specific," Jane chuckled, unpacking her basket.

"Mum?" Emily asked, "You see that picture over there? She pointed to the far wall of the house, where a picture of Tarzan's parents hung; the same photo that Jane had seen nearly twenty years ago when she and Tarzan first met.

She nodded, "Yes, I do, dear. Why?"

"Do you…know anything about them?"

"Well…no," she admitted, "We really don't know much of anything about them. All we know is that they died when your father was a very young baby. That's an awfully random question, though. What's got you wondering?"

"I don't know," Emily admitted, adjusting her burgundy colored two piece outfit that looked nearly identical to her mother's."I've just been curious. I know about your parents - granddad's told me about your mum, but I really don't know anything about dad…in that way, at least." Jane had known that these questions would come one day, but she still was not prepared to answer those questions. There was a long, reflective silence before Emily blurted out, "Is there any way we could find out about them?"

Jane raised an eyebrow. "I…don't know. We don't have legal names for them, or your father, so even if we were in England, we couldn't search public records."

"Are we planning to go to London again? If we go back, I'd like to try to find out who they were."

"We haven't been to London in…goodness…nearly seven years. We haven't got any plans to go back, darling. None right now, at least." Jane glanced towards the trunks of clothes that sat in the corner of the room. She was telling the truth - since their last trip to London when Emily was eight, they hadn't really used those clothes. If they did go back, they would need to purchase all new clothes for her. Jane speculated it would be hard to find nice dresses for a girl of Emily's height and build.

"I don't know, I just know that I want answers," Emily said, glancing again at the picture on the wall.

Later that night, Emily made her way through the trees, eventually reaching her grandfather's camp. He had been sketching something on his easel - perhaps a plant of some kind that he was studying - but upon hearing someone enter the camp, he swiveled around to face her. "Oh, hello!" he exclaimed, placing the chalk down on a small tray and walking over the Emily. "What brings you here on this fine, fine jungle evening, my dear?"

Emily smiled. Despite her age, she still loved her grandfather's whimsical demeanor and his curiosity. "I just wanted to ask you something, that's all, granddad. I hope I didn't interrupt you."

"No! No, no, no, no, no. You didn't interrupt at all! What did you want to know?"

"In England, how would I be able to track down someone. Not someone alive - someone dead."

He looked puzzled. "I suppose you'd need to know their names, and...oh...I don't know, find someone in local authority that could give you access to records." Emily looked crestfallen for a moment. "Is there…someone you're looking to find?"

"Dad's parents. I want to know who they are- well, were. I want to know. I don't know why, but I just...I want to know."

"I've often wondered about them myself. I have less stake in this than you, and even less than your father, but I admit, I'd like to know who they were."


End file.
